XN000022-1974-11-13 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1974.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

MR. TOPLEY CONSIDERED THE EMPHASIS LAID BY MISS KO SIU-WAH ON EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO BE ENTIRELY JUSTIFIED.

HE ADMITTED THAT THE EXTENDED DAY ARRANGEMENTS +MAY MAKE FOR CERTAIN DIFFICULTIES IN THE ORGANISATION OF EXTRA- CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BUT IN OTHER WAYS THE STAGGERING OF THE TIMES OF DISMISSAL OF CLASSES AT THE END OF THE SESSION MAY BE HELPFUL. I AM CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGING SCHOOLS TO EXTEND THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THIS FIELD AND MANY SCHOOLS DO A GREAT DEAL IN THIS DIRECTION.+

THE DIRECTOR WAS HOPING TO EXTEND THE LUEN YI SCHEME IN WHICH ONE SCHOOL, NORMALLY A SECONDARY, ADOPTS' A SMALLER PRIMARY SCHOOL TO SUPPORT A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES.

ACCEPTING MISS KO'S POINT THAT SCHOOLS REPRESENTED A VALUABLE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND SHOULD NOT LIE EMPTY AFTER SCHOOL HOURS EXCEPT FOR PUPILS ENGAGED ON EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT A MAJOR PRIORITY WAS TO EXTEND THE RANGE OF ADULT EDUCATION ACTIVITIES WHICH INCLUDED EVENING CALSSES.

QUALITY

TURNING TO CRITICISM OF THE WHITE PAPER FOR SAYING VERY LITTLE ON QUALITY, MR. TOPLEY SAID THIS HAS GIVEN A MISLEADING IMPRESSION TO THE PUBLIC THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SIMPLY DO NOT CARE ENOUGH ABOUT QUALITY, THAT ONLY QUANTITY LOOMS LARGE IN OUR PLANS. NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH, QUALITY IS A DIFFICULT AND ABSTRACT CONCEPT. IT IS OFTEN DEFINED IN TERMS OF BASIC EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES.

+1 PREFER TO TAKE A MORE REALISTIC POSITION. IN MY VIEW, QUALITY IS A GOOD TEACHER, GIVING A GOOD LESSON TO PUPILS WHO FEEL THEY ARE LEARNING SOMETHING WORTHWHILE. THE KEY MUST LIE IN THE TEACHER AND IN THE EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL AVAILABLE TO HIM FOR TEACHING. THUS TEACHER TRAINING AND RE-TRAINING IS THE KEY TO QUALITY.

+THE BASIC TEACHER TRAINING COURSES, THE THIRD YEAR COURSES TO EXTEND THE RANGE OF BASIC TRAINING, THE RE-TRAINING AND REFRESHER COURSES LONG AND SHORT. OVERSEAS COURSES, ALL HAVE A PART TO PLAY, ALL ARE BEING LOOKED AT WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVEMENTS.+

MR. TOPLEY SAID THE FOURTH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION WOULD BE THOUGHT OUT AND DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF TRAINING TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A NEW EDUCATIONAL WORLD WHERE NEW AND MORE PRACTICAL SYLLABUSES WOULD BE TAUGHT.

HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRES WERE IN THEIR INFANCY BUT WERE SUSCEPTIBLE OF GREAT DEVELOPMENT.

/MR. TOPLEY

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