XN000022-1975-01-23 — Page 5

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1975

NEED FOR ADAPTABILITY TO LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES

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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, SAID TODAY THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN TO BE ADAPTABLE SINCE NEW TECHNIQUES WERE DEVELOPING SO RAPIDLY AND NEW PRODUCTS WERE BEING PUT ON THE MARKET EVERY DAY.

MR. TOPLEY WAS SPEAKING AT THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN CHINA ROTARY PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL WHICH HE DECLARED OPEN.

THE SCHOOL, HE SAID, SETS OUT TO PROVIDE EACH BOY WITH A WIDE RANGE OF BASIC SKILLS SO THAT THE ECONOMIC NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY MAY BE SATISFIED AND SO THAT PUPILS ON LEAVING THE SCHOOL GET SUITABLE JOBS. THIS MAKES GOOD SENSE. ALL OF US, I AM SURE, WANT TO SEE HONG KONG PROSPER.+

THE DIRECTOR URGED PEOPLE TO LEARN NEW JOBS, INCLUDING NEW TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS AND ADJUST THEMSELVES TO NEW SITUATIONS.

*NO ONE TODAY CAN LEARN A CRAFT AND SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT HE WILL BE FOLLOWING THE SAME TRADE IN 40 OR 50 YEARS FROM NOW.

+SUCH RAPID PROGRESS IS BEING MADE THAT IT IS NECESSARY FOR ALL OF US TO LEARN NEW THINGS, AND TO BE RETRAINED, OFTEN TWO OR THREE TIMES IN OUR LIFE-TIME, HE SAID,

THE ROTARY PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL GIVES BOYS BASIC TRAINING WHICH WOULD ENABLE, THEM TO ADAPT.

THE SCHOOL IS DOING ITS BEST TO PROVIDE BOYS WITH A COM- PREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING INCLUDING BASIC PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND WORK METHODS.

*THIS IS DONE IN ORDER TO PREPARE THEM FOR THEIR ENTRY INTO THE WORLD OF WORK AND TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A BROAD BASIS OF KNOWLEDGE FOR TRAINING - POSSIBLY IN A TECHNICAL INSTITUTE - LATER, IN A SPECIFIC OCCUPATION.

+ON THE OTHER HAND THERE IS FAR MORE TO EDUCATION THAN THIS. IN A PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL THE CURRICULUM INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 45 PER CENT TECHNICAL AND 55 PER CENT GENERAL EDUCATION, HE SAID.

THE SCHOOL IS PROVIDING TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS WELL AS A WELL- ROUNDED GENERAL EDUCATION. IT ALSO GIVES THE PUPILS SOME DEGREE OF CIVIC AWARENESS.

/+IN AN OVER-CROWDED