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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1981
LEARN FROM LIFE, SAYS MR TOPLEY
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+ IT IS GOOD TO BE A GOOD STUDENT AND LEARN FROM BOOKS AND FROM ONE'S TEACHERS BUT IT IS BETTER BY FAR ALSO TO BE A GOOD LEARNER FROM LIFE ITSELF. +
THIS ADVICE CAME TODAY (SATURDAY) FROM THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION, THE HON KENNETH TOPLEY, WHEN HE ADDRESSED STUDENTS OF NING PO COLLEGE ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR ANNUAL SPEECH DAY.
MR TOPLEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE IS NO END TO KNOWLEDGE AND THAT ONE LEARNS FROM EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE A GREAT DEAL WHICH CANNOT BE WRITTEN DOWN.
HE ADMITTED THAT LEARNING COULD BE AN UNCOMFORTABLE PROCESS AND THAT ONE OF THE MOST INCONVENIENT ELEMENTS OF LEARNING IS UNLEARNING.
SO AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF LEARNING IS UNLEARNING, HE SAID, QUOTING AN EXAMPLE FROM THE BRITISH PHILOSOPHER HUME WHO, IN SUMMING UP HIS LIFE'S WORK, SAID I HAVE MADE A BONFIRE OF RUBBISH+. MR TOPLEY ADVISED THAT ANYONE WHO ASPIRES TO BE WELL DRESSED SHOULD GO TO THEIR WARDROBE AND THROW OUT ALL THEIR OLD CLOTHES.
+THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO FRESH LEARNING,+ MR TOPLEY SAID, + IS A TOO RESTRICTIVE NOTION OF WHAT KNOWLEDGE" AND LEARNING ARE.
+RATHER MORE THAN 200 YEARS AGO, A GREAT MOVEMENT WAS STARTED TO ORGANISE ALL KNOWLEDGE INTO ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
+ENCYCLOPAEDIAS ARE STILL WITH US, AND VERY USEFUL THEY ARE. BUT THEY CANNOT BE THE WHOLE OF KNOWLEDGE, HE ADDED.
EARLIER, MR TOPLEY REFERRED TO A REQUEST BY THE PRINCIPAL OF NING PO COLLEGE THAT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION AND THE STRUCTURAL APPROACH TO LEARNING ENGLISH BE BROUGHT BACK AND SAID THAT THOSE WERE ESSENTIALLY INSTITUTIONS OF THE IMMEDIATE PAST APPROPRIATE TO DIFFERENT SOCIAL CONDITIONS, WHEN THOSE ENTERING SECONDARY SCHOOL AND LEARNING ENGLISH WERE A SMALLER AND MORE HOMOGENEOUS GROUP PREPARING FOR A LESS COMPLEX WORLD.
+WE CANNOT MAINTAIN THE ARRANGEMENTS SUITABLE FOR AN ERA WHEN A MINORITY WENT TO SECONDARY SCHOOL INTO AN ERA WHEN EVERYONE GOES TO SECONDARY SCHOOL, HE SAID.
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MR TOPLEY ADDED THAT FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS WOULD BE MADE IN THE FUTURE AND ASKED THAT THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS OF THE ACADEMIC APTITUDE TESTS AND THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH TO TEACHING LANGUAGES BE GIVEN TIME TO SUCCEED.