XN000022-1975-01-20 — Page 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1975.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PLANS CLOSER LIAISON

WITH PUBLISHERS OF

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* OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS CONSIDERING VARIOUS MEANS BY WHICH IMPROVEMENT CAN BE BROUGHT ABOUT IN THE PRODUCTION, SELECTION AND USE OF SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL.

PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS DEING PAID TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF

MATERIAL TO SUPPORT NEW APPROACHES TO THE CURRICULUM.

THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), MR. ARTHUR BROWN, TODAY INVITED EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS TO DISCUSS WITH HIM WAYS OF BRINGING ABOUT CLOSER LIAISON WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

+ONE OF OUR IMMEDIATE CONCERNS,+ SAID 'MR. BROWN, +IS TO FIND WAYS OF PRODUCING THE SORT OF MATERIAL WHICH WILL ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE IMPROVED TEACHING TECHNIQUES AND AT THE SAME TIME GIVE ADEQUATE SUPPORT TO NEW CONCEPTS IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.

+NEW IDEAS CAN EASILY BE DESTROYED BY OLD HABITS OR ATTITUDES OF MIND, AND A VITALLY IMPORTANT PART OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IS THE PRODUCTION OF TEACHING MATERIAL WHICH FIRMLY PLACES THE PUPIL AT THE CENTRE OF THINGS, STIMULATING HIS IMAGINATION AND CURIOSITY, AND ENCOURAGING HIM TO LEARN BY DOING IN FACT, GENERALLY STEERING HIM AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL PASSIVE ROLE OF LEARNING BY ROTE.

+WE FEEL THAT IT IS NOW PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE CLOSE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND OUR EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS IN ALL ASPECTS OF TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT.+

ANY EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHER WISHING TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER MAY MAKE ARRANGEMENTS BY CONTACTING MR. MAK SIK-HON, INSPECTOR (CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT), EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, LEE GARDENS, HYSAN AVENUE, HONG KONG (TEL: 5-774001 EXT. 39).

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