XN000022-1974-10-08 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1974.

CONSULTATION BETWEEN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND

AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS' COUNCILS

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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY TODAY SPOKE ABOUT THE CONSULTATION BETWEEN HIS DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG SUBSIDIZED SECONDARY SCHOOLS COUNCIL AND THE GRANTS SCHOOLS COUNCIL ON MANY IMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS CONCERNING THE OPERATION OF AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

+THE NEW CODE OF AID FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS REPRESENTS THE FRUIT OF SUCH EFFORTS,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.

HE ADDED: +WHEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WHITE PAPER ON SECONDARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG ARE IMPLEMENTED, I SHALL LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER CO-OPERATION FROM BOTH COUNCILS.+

MR. TOPLEY WAS SPEAKING AT A TEA RECEPTION GIVEN IN HIS HONOUR BY THE SUBSIDIZED SECONDARY SCHOOLS COUNCIL.

WHEN THE COUNCIL WAS INAUGURATED IN MAY 1971 IT HAD ONLY 50 MEMBER SCHOOLS BUT WITH THE STEADY EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, THE COUNCIL NOW REPRESENTED 75 SUBSIDIZED SCHOOLS.

+AS IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT SIX MORE SUBSIDIZED SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL COME INTO BEING NEXT SEPTEMBER, YOU ARE LIKELY TO HAVE SIX NEW MEMBERS IN A YEAR'S TIME,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.

THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT CONTACT WITH REPUTABLE PROFESSIONAL BODIES LIKE THE SUBSIDIZED SECONDARY SCHOOLS COUNCIL WAS OF TREMENDOUS VALUE AND GAVE HIM GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT IN HIS WORK.

+EDUCATION IS A HOT SUBJECT IN HONG KONG AS IN MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID. +IN FACT, IT HAS GENERATED SO MUCH LOCAL INTEREST IN RECENT YEARS THAT HARDLY A DAY GOES BY WITHOUT SOME LIVELY COMMENTS ON EDUCATIONAL ISSUES FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.+

SINCE THE COUNCIL IS MADE UP OF PRINCIPALS WHO HAVE THE INTERESTS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS AT HEART, MR. TOPLEY MENTIONED WHAT HE CONSIDERED TO BE TWO IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES UNDERLY ING SECONDARY EDUCATION.

HE SAID: +THE FIRST GENERAL PRINCIPLE IS THIS: EACH SCHOOL MUST REALISE THAT ITS FIRST DUTY IS TO ITS PUPILS AS INDIVIDUALS. EACH PUPIL MUST BE REGARDED AS A UNIQUE PERSONALITY WITH HIS OWN NEEDS AND ABILITIES. THE SCHOOL MUST SATISFY THE PUPIL'S NEEDS, FIND OUT HIS ABILITIES AND DEVELOP THEM. SUCH AN ATTITUDE IMPLIES PLACING LESS EMPHASIS ON TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS FURTHER, IT IMPLIES A REDUCTION IN THE QUANTITY OF ORAL TEACHING AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE TEACHER INTO A 'GUIDE, PHILOSOPHER AND A

FRIEND.

/+THE SECOND