XN000022-1975-02-06 — Page 2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1975

CALL FOR MORE PRACTICAL APPROACH TO LEARNING

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THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), MR. ARTHUR BROWN, TODAY STRESSED THE NEED FOR A MORE PRACTICAL APPROACH TO LEARNING IN JUNIOR SECONDARY FORMS BY USING, FOR EXAMPLE, ACTIVITY METHODS.

ADDRESSING A Y'S MEN'S CLUB LUNCHEON MEETING, MR. BROWN REFERRED TO PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE CURRICULUM FOR HONG KONG'S SECONDARY SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER SECONDARY FORMS.

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THE CONCEPT OF A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO THE WHOLE OF THE CURRICULUM IS IMPLICIT IN THE WHITE PAPER ON SECONDARY EDUCATION POLICY. +THIS IS WHAT WE ARE NOW TRYING TO ACHIEVE,+ HE SAID.

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FOR WELL OVER A YEAR THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN RE-FRAMING THE CURRICULUM FOR FORMS - IH IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH EMPHASIS ON +EDUCATION FOR LIVING*, THE TITLE OF MR. BROWN'S TALK.

THE NEW COMMON CORE CURRICULUM, TACKLING VITAL TOPICS AFFECTING OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF THAT THINKING.

CRITICS OF THIS +COMMON CORE CURRICULUM SAID THAT THIS WAS FINE FOR THE EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS BUT WOULD WRECK THE PROSPECTS OF POTENTIAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.

+THE COMMITTEE CONSIDERS THAT THIS IS NONSENSE, AND MOST OF OUR UNIVERSITY FRIENDS AGREE WITH US. (THEY ARE WELL REPRESENTED ON OUR COMMITTEES AND ARE. THEMSELVES CONCERNED AT THE EXTENT TO WHICH UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS AT PRESENT TEND TO DICTATE THE CURRICULUM),+ MR. BROWN SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT POTENTIAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, WHO IN ANY CASE FORMED A VERY SMALL MINORITY, NEEDED THE SAME BASIC BACKGROUND EDUCATION AS EVERYONE ELSE, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD BECOME NARROW AND LIMITED IN THEIR HORIZONS.

+HENCE THE CONCEPT OF A COMMON CORE CURRICULUM AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE IN THE LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL,+ MR. BROWN SAID.

HE WENT ON TO SAY HOWEVER THAT IT IS NOT JUST THE CONTENT THAT MATTERS BUT HOW IT IS TACKLED.+

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THE BURDEN OF CHANGE WOULD FALL ON THE TEACHERS BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE APPROACH TO LEARNING RATHER THAN IN THE CONTENT TO BE COVERED THAT THE BIGGEST CHANGES WERE REQUIRED.

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