ON
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1981
SCHOOLS DECIDE OWN CURRICULUMS, HAYE SAYS
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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION DOES NOT PRESCRIBE THE CURRICULUM, BUT ADVISES SCHOOLS AND POINTS THE WAY TOWARDS WHAT HE BELIEVES TO BE THE RIGHT EDUCATIONAL GOALS.
ELABORATING ON THIS POINT, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION MR COLVYN HAYE, SAID, +SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AND TEACHERS ARE FREE TO MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS AND, ENCOURAGINGLY, THEY DO SO.+
AT THE
MR HAYE, WAS SPEAKING ON THE USE OF DISCRETION ZONTA CLUB OF KOWLOON LUNCHEON MEETING TODAY (THURSDAY).
IN A REFERENCE TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S RECENTLY-ISSUED GENERAL GUIDELINES ON MORAL EDUCATION TO SCHOOLS, MR HAYE SAID THAT ALREADY SOME PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT THE GUIDELINES WERE NOT EXPLICIT ENOUGH, AND OTHERS THAT THEY REPRESENTED A SUBTLE BUREAUCRATIC ATTEMPT TO BRAIN-WASH TEACHERS IN AN AREA IN WHICH THERE OUGHT TO BE TOTAL DISCRETION.
HE SAID ALTHOUGH THERE WAS THE EDUCATION ORDINANCE WHICH EMPOWERED THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TO ACT BY MANDATE OR BY DISCRETION, AND CODES OF AID GOVERNING THE USE OF GOVERNMENT SUBVENTIONS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, IN THE IMPORTANT AREA OF WHAT WAS TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS, HE WAS HAPPY TO GIVE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AND TEACHERS GENUINE DISCRETION.
AND SO GENERAL GUIDELINES....+ RATHER THAN +RULES AND REGULATIONS. MR HAYE SAID, ADDING THAT IT WOULD BE RASH FOR HIM TO TRY TO IMPOSE HIS WILL ON THE CURRICULUM.
+THE DIRECTOR'S DISCRETION IS ROOTED IN HISTORY AND COMMONSENSE,+ MR HAYE SAID, TRACING THE ORIGINS OF HONG KONG'S EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOLS ESTABLISHED BY MAJOR RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AND TEACHERS WERE TRUSTED TO RUN THEIR OWN AFFAIRS WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF CERTAIN RULES.
+WITHIN THESE RULES, HOWEVER, THERE WAS, AND IS WIDE PROFESSIONAL LATITUDE WHICH IS AS MUCH TRADITIONAL RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AS COMMONSENSE TRUST IN THE JUDGEMENT OF THOSE WHO HAVE A VOCATION TO EDUCATING THE YOUNG,+ HE SAID.
EXPRESSING A PERSONAL VIEW AS AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE COMPLEX AND CONTROVERSIAL AREA OF MORAL EDUCATION, MR HAYE SAID HE DEPLORED THE APPARENT EROSION OF THE FAMILY AS A SOCIAL UNIT AND HAD NO HESITATION IN CALLING FOR A RETURN TO THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE CONCEPT OF THE FAMILY.
HE DEFINED SUCH A FAMILY AS ONE BOUND BY CLOSE TIES OF LOVE AND RESPECT BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD IN WHICH THE PARENT HAS A DUTY TO GUIDE THE CHILD, AND THE CHILD A DUTY TO OBEY THE PARENT, UNTIL THE YEARS OF DISCRETION IN WHICH AN INTELLIGENT DIALOGUE ABOUT THE RIGHT AND WRONG BECOMES POSSIBLE.
/FAMILY DISCIPLINE
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