SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1981
MASS MEDIA
-
POTENTIAL FOR GOOD OR EVIL
****
THE MASS MEDIA IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS CAN NO DOUBT ASSIST EDUCATION BUT IT HAS POTENTIAL FOR EVIL AS WELL, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR COLVYN HAYE SAID THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING.
MR HAYE WAS ADDRESSING A MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF HEADS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS AT WAH YAN COLLEGE, KOWLOON, ON +MASS MEDIA - POTENTIAL FOR GOOD OR EVIL+.
THE MASS MEDIA THE DIRECTOR WAS REFERRING TO INCLUDED PRINTED MATERIAL, VISUAL MATERIAL, RADIO, TELEVISION, CINEMA, ADVERTISING AND OTHERS.
SPEAKING ON THE POSITIVE USES OF THE MASS MEDIA IN EDUCATION, MR HAYE REFERRED IN PARTICULAR TO HONG KONG'S ETV SYSTEM WHICH HAS AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S VISUAL EDUCATION SECTION AND THE MEDIA PRODUCTION SERVICES UNIT WHICH HAVE HELPED TEACHERS TO BRING LIFE AND COLOUR TO THEIR TEACHING.
ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE, HE SAID USING THE MEDIA TO MANIPULATE MINDS, TO DEBASE FOR COMMERCIAL PROFIT AND TO
INDOCTRINATE MUST BE DEPLORED.
BUT, DESPITE ALL THE MASSIVE RESOURCES OF THE MEDIA, MR HAYE SAID THERE COULD NEVER BE ANY SUBSTITUTE FOR THE TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM.
+NO MATTER HOW SOPHISTICATED EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY MAY BECOME, IT WILL ALWAYS BE DEPENDENT ON THE MAN OR WOMAN WHO USES IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF PUPILS, THE DIRECTOR SAID.
MR HAYE CONCLUDED BY REMINDING TEACHERS OF THE POSITIVE USES OF THE MASS MEDIA IN EDUCATION AND SAID:
+WHAT WE HAVE IS USEFUL AND EXCITING= WHAT IS TO COME SEEMS EVEN MORE SO.
+THE CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE WILL BE AN EXTRAORDINARY PLACE IN WHICH PUPILS MAY WELL PACE THEMSELVES WITH TEACHING MACHINES SUCH AS THE TELEPUTER, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF TEACHERS WHOSE MAIN ROLE WILL BE TO APPLY A SOPHISTICATED EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TO THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN.+
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