THURSDAY, COT
7. 1983
9
SHE SAID THAT WHILE CAMPAIGNS THROUGH THE MASS MEDIA OR IN PUBLIC PLACES WERE NECESSARY AND EFFECTIVE IN REACHING THE MASS SHE OFTEN FOUND THERE WAS TOO MUCH CONCENTRATION ON THE PUBLICITY ASPECT AND NOT ENOUGH ON THE PERSONAL APPROACH WHICH COULD BE PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE WITH YOUTHS.+
MRS CHOW SAID THAT APART FROM THEIR OWN FAMILIES, THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD HAVE THE MOST INFLUENCE ON THE YOUNG WERE TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND YOUTH LEADERS.
MRS CHOW SAID THE LLEWELYN REPORT ADVOCATED THE NEED FOR A PROFESSIONAL BODY TO BE FORMED TO UPGRADE THE TECHNICAL AND ETHICAL PRACTICE OF TEACHERS, SHE SAID.
+THE SHORTAGE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN SCHOOLS IS UNSATISFACTORY, BUT TEACHERS CAN TO A CERTAIN EXTENT MAKE UP THE SHORTFALL BY TAKING UP THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OVERSEEING THE MORAL AS WELL AS ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR STUDENTS,+ MRS CHOW SAID.
SPEAKING OF A RECENT NEWS REPORT, SHE SAID IT WAS A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS+ THAT OUT OF 46 RECENT GRADUATES IN SOCIAL WORK, 44 HAD CHOSEN SOME OTHER EMPLOYMENT.
IF THIS WERE TRUE, THEIR DECISION TO ABANDON THE FIELD FOR WHICH THEY HAVE STUDIED CAN SET BACK YOUTH WORK, PARTICULARLY IN OUT-REACH PROGRAMMES FOR YOUTHS AT RISK WHICH CALL FOR THE MORE FLEXIBLE AND SENSITIVE APPROACH OF THE TRUE PROFESSIONALS.
AS FOR YOUTH LEADERS, MRS CHOW SAID, THEY HAD PROVED TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE IN CONSTRUCTIVE YOUTH WORK SUCH AS JUNIOR POLICE CALL, SCOUTS, POLICE CADETS, ROAD SAFETY PATROL AND OTHER VOLUNTEER SERVICES,
+THIS IS NOT SURPRISING AS YOUTHS CAN IDENTIFY MORE EASILY WITH HEROES OF THEIR OWN AGE GROUP AND BACK-GROUND THAN WITH OLDER PEOPLE, AND ARE THEREFORE MORE EASILY INFLUENCED BY THEM.
+THE SCOUTING AND TRAINING OF YOUTH LEADERS IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF WORK AND RECREATION IS CERTAINLY A WORTHWHILE POLICY THAT DESERVES SUPPORT, SHE SAID.
SPEAKING IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRESENT POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY+ OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE, MRS CHOW SAID, IT IS NATURAL FOR OUR YOUNG GENERATION'S OUTLOOK IN LIFE TO BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE IR FEAR THAT ALL VALUES WE HAVE HELD SO DEAR WILL HAVE BEEN LOST WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY COME TO HOLD THE REINS.
+ IT IS THEREFORE MOST IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO SEE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR UTMOST TO PROTECT THE MUCH VALUED CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR COMMUNITY: OUR PROSPERITY, OUR STABILITY, OUR MANY FREEDOMS, AND OUR RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.+
SHE SAID THAT IF THE PEOPLE LOSE THESE FREEDOMS OR LEGAL PROTECTION THEY WILL BE +UNABLE TO PRESERVE THE IR PRESENT LIFE-STYLE, EVEN IF THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG IS MAINTAINED.+
+IN MY VIEW, AND IN THE VIEW OF MANY WHO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF HONG KONG, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN IS THAT A CONTINUATION OF OUR PRESENT SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION, LAW, AND JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE CAN BE GUARANTEED BEYOND THE YEAR 1997, + MRS CHOW STRESSED.
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