THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1994
THE
ARE
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MR ALFRED TSO (THROUGH INTERPRETER): MR GOVERNOR, AS A RESULT OF HARD EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE SPENDING MORE MONEY ON EDUCATION AND YOUTH WORK. NOW YOUNGSTERS LEARNING MORE AND MORE FROM THEIR SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS BUT STILL WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH AN EVER-GROWING YOUTH PROBLEM. YOUNGSTERS ARE FACED WITH A LOT OF MATERIALISTIC ATTRACTIVENESS. SOME YOUNGSTERS ARE BECOMING YOUNG PROSTITUTES AND SOME BECOME DRUG ADDICTS. SO, MR GOVERNOR, CAN YOU NOT INCLUDE IN CIVIC EDUCATION ELEMENTS OF POLITICS AND MAKE CIVIC EDUCATION AS A COMPULSORY SUBJECT IN SECONDARY SCHOOL SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A STRONGER SENSE OF BELONGING AMONGST OUR YOUNGSTERS SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE TO FACE UP TO AND WHAT TO DO AFTER 1997?
GOVERNOR: THERE'S QUITE A LOT MIXED UP IN THAT QUESTION AND IN RESPONDING TO IT AS POSITIVELY AS POSSIBLE, I'LL TRY TO AVOID THE TEMPTATION то WHICH POLITICIANS OCCASIONALLY FALL PREY AND START SOUNDING LIKE A BISHOP OR SPIRITUAL LEADER, BECAUSE I THINK THAT PEOPLE THAT WANT MORAL UPLIFT SHOULD, ON THE WHOLE, LOOK TO SPIRITUAL LEADERS RATHER THAN TO POLITICIANS,
IT IS, ALAS, ONE OF THE PARADOXES OF OUR AGE THAT INCREASES IN COLLECTIVE AND INDIVIDUAL AFFLUENCE HAVEN'T ELIMINATED SOCIAL PROBLEMS. THAT INDEED WE SEE, QUITE OFTEN, A GROWTH IN SOME SORTS OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS ACCOMPANYING GREATER MATERIALISM AND INCREASES IN PEOPLES' DISPOSABLE INCOME. THAT CAN BE PARTLY ADDRESSED AT SCHOOLS AND OUR SCHOOLS HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN EDUCATING THE WHOLE BOY OR GIRL, SO CIVIC EDUCATION, SO HEALTH EDUCATION, SO TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE TO RESPECT THEMSELVES AS WELL AS OTHERS, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF EDUCATION. BUT I THINK THERE IS A TENDENCY, FROM TIME TO TIME, FOR PARENTS TO PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY ON SCHOOLS RATHER THAN SHOULDER THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY THEMSELVES. I THINK MOST OF THE INCULCATION OF MORAL STANDARDS AND MORAL VALUES SHOULD BEGIN IN THE HOME AND I DON'T THINK PARENTS CAN EXPECT SCHOOLS TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT MAY BE DEFICIENT IN THE DOMESTIC BACKGROUND. SCHOOLS HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY BUT I THINK THAT PARENTS HAVE TO RECOGNISE THEIR ROLE AS WELL AND I'M VERY PLEASED THAT THE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE IS BRINGING PARENTS AND SCHOOL MANAGERS TOGETHER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE PTA'S AND SO ON, I THINK THAT'S A VERY WELCOME MOVE FORWARD.
AS FOR, AS IT WERE, THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S QUESTION. I THINK THAT THERE IS ALREADY WITHIN SEVERAL SYLLABUSES · IN THE CURRICULUM PLENTY OF MATERIAL ABOUT THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE BASIC LAW, THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE IN MODERN CHINA. I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO FURTHER IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR EDUCATION THAT YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY LIVE AND I WELCOME THE FACT THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE PRODUCED SUCH GOOD CURRICULUM MATERIAL ON THOSE SUBJECTS.
PERHAPS I COULD JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING. I AM VERY IMPRESSED AS I GO AROUND FROM DISTRICT BOARD TO DISTRICT BOARD BY THE WORK OF THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEES AND BY THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEES AND OUR SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT WORK IS EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT, NOT LEAST IN DISCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM TAKING PART IN TRIAD ACTIVITY. I HOPE THAT WE CAN SEE THAT SORT OF WORK WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT INCREASE IN THE FUTURE.
/DR C H LEONG: