THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1985
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BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS TACKLED
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THE REAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF UNRULY AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOLS LAY NOT IN MEASURES TO DEAL WITH SEPARATE AREAS OF CONCERN, BUT IN PROVIDING A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT MET THE FULL RANGE OF NEEDS, ABILITIES AND INTERESTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING.
ADDRESSING A GATHERING AT THE HONG KONG PRIVATE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL DINNER, MR LEUNG SAID IT WAS TO THIS END THAT ALL INVOLVED IN EDUCATION HAD TO CONTINUE TO WORK.
GOVERNMENT HAD RECOGNISED IN 1981 THAT BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS
THIS LED TO THE AMONG STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS WERE INCREASING. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON UNRULY AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOLS TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS AND TO ADVISE THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION ON REMEDIAL MEASURES, HE SAID.
THE COMMITTEE CONSISTED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED, AND MET REGULARLY. ITS MAIN WORK WAS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THE KINDS AND EXTENT OF BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS, AND TO TAKE STEPS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, MR LEUNG SAID.
TWO SURVEYS HAD BEEN CONDUCTED ON BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS AMONG STUDENTS AND TWO REPORTS COVERING THE 1982-83 AND 1983-84 YEARS HAD THEN BEEN ISSUED, HE SAID.
A THIRD SURVEY WAS NOW IN PROGRESS.
IN ADDITION, A WORKING GROUP OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE HAD BEEN SET UP IN 1983 TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EXISTING SERVICES IN COMBATING UNRULY AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR AND TO SUGGEST IMPROVEMENTS.
THE REPORT WAS SUBMITTED LAST YEAR AND WAS ENDORSED BY BOTH THE STANDING COMMITTEE AND THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE.
FOLLOWING THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION, A DESCRIPTIVE PAMPHLET ON SERVICES TO HELP PUPILS WITH PROBLEMS, WAS PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTED TO ALL SCHOOLS THIS MONTH AND A LEAFLET VERSION OF THE PAMPHLET WAS BEING PREPARED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO PARENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND A START WOULD BE MADE NEXT YEAR IN SETTING UP A SCHOOL SUPPORT TEAM OF SPECIALLY TRAINED TEACHERS, SUPPORTED BY PSYCHOLOGISTS, COUNSELLORS AND INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE AN OUTREACHING SERVICE TO HELP SCHOOLS EXPERIENCING BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS AMONG STUDENTS.
MR LEUNG SAID ALSO THAT THE ALLOCATION OF STAFF TO GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS WAS BEING INCREASED TO ENABLE THEM TU INCREASE THE PROVISION OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES, AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
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