XN000022-1975-02-22 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1975

ROLE OF SCHOOLS OUTLINED

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THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG IS TO GIVE CHILDREN A BROAD-BASED EDUCATION WHICH WILL ACT AS A SPRING BOARD TO. LAUNCH THEMSELVES INTO THEIR FUTURE CAREERS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY SAID TODAY.

+IT IS MOST ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE MINDFUL OF THIS AND THAT THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT IN A PRACTICAL WAY, HE SAID WHEN OPENING THE FIRST IN-SERVICE COURSE ON DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS RUN BY THE HONG KONG TECHNICAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE.

MR. TOPLEY NOTED THAT APPLICATIONS FAR EXCEEDED THE NUMBER OF PLACES FOR THE 20-WEEK COURSE. HOWEVER, SUFFICIENT COURSES WOULD BE OFFERED IN THE FUTURE TO ALLOW ALL APPLICANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.

TEACHERS OF PRACTICAL SUBJECTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS FELT THAT IT WAS DESIRABLE TO LOOK BEYOND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANUAL SKILLS TO THE ACTIVITY WHICH LIES AT THE CORE OF A LIBERAL PRACTICAL EDUCATION - DESIGN WITH ITS ATTENDANT PROBLEM-SOLVING CHALLENGES.

+IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE COURSE IS BEING OFFERED TO SERVING TEACHERS OF PRACTICAL SUBJECTS,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID,

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MORE CHILDREN WERE ENCOURAGED TO USE REASON AND LOGIC, THE BETTER.

TEACHING BASIC SKILLS FOR THE SAKE OF TEACHING BASIC SKILLS ALONE, WITHOUT GIVING THE CHILD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP HIS OWN CREATIVE TALENTS, WOULD APPEAR TO BE A RESTRICTIVE FORM OF EDUCATION.

+WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN SOCIETY IS CHANGING RAPIDLY AND NOWHERE IS THIS CHANGE MORE APPARENT THAN IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD - SO RAPID IS THE CHANGE THAT WHAT IS SOUND PRACTICE TODAY MAY WELL BE OBSOLETE TOMORROW, MR. TOPLEY SAID.

TEACHERS SHOULD PROMOTE PERSONAL CREATIVITY AND ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL IDEAS, PRESENT CHALLENGES WHICH WOULD HELP THE CHILD GROW UP AS PERSON WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO COPE WITH REAL-LIFE PROBLEMS.

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ALL TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY CRAFT TEACHERS, MUST GO ABOUT THEIR WORK IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEIR PUPILS DEVELOP AND ENJOY THE SENSE OF WELL-BEING WHICH RESULTS FROM PARTICIPATING IN CREATIVE PURSUITS, MR. TOPLEY SAID.