XN000022-1975-07-17 — Page 7

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1975.

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EXCHANGE SCHEME BETWEEN TEACHERS AND

INDUSTRIALISTS ADVOCATED

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THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), MR. DANIEL WATERS TODAY SUGGESTED THAT TEACHERS SHOULD SPEND A PERIOD OF TIME ON SECONDMENT TO INDUSTRY AND THAT INDUSTRIALISTS SHOULD VISIT SCHOOLS.

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF A TWO-DAY SEMINAR ON TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS OF GENERAL SUBJECTS.

MR. WATERS SAID HE WOULD BE INTERESTED TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF THE PARTICIPANTS ON WHETHER A ''TEACHERS TO INDUSTRY AND INDUSTRIALISTS BACK TO SCHOOL SCHEME" WOULD SERVE A USEFUL PURPOSE IN HONG KONG.

HE STATED THE WORK OF THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT ADVISORY SERVICE, CAREERS EXHIBITIONS, FACTORY SIGHTSEEING TOURS AND RECRUITING VISITS TO SCHOOLS BY PERSONNEL OFFICERS, ALTHOUGH LAUDABLE, ARE CLEARLY NOT ENOUGH. WHAT IS NEEDED IS SOMETHING IN GREATER DEPTH.+

THE SCHEME HE WAS PROPOSING PROVIDED THIS AS IT WOULD ENABLE TEACHERS TO APPRECIATE THE NATURE OF MODERN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES AND TO RELATE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO THEIR TEACHING AND COUNSELLING OF STUDENTS.

MR. WATERS SAID THAT IN 1963 AN EXERCISE OF THIS NATURE WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE PURPOSE OF THE EXPERIMENT, KNOWN AS ''THE LEICESTERSHIRE EXPERIMENT’*. WAS THAT CAREERS' MASTERS, AND OTHERS WITHIN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION, SHOULD GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT INDUSTRY. IN TURN, INDUSTRIALISTS SHOULD GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT EDUCATION.

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BUT THE TIME SPENT ON SCHOOL VISITS BY THE UNITED KINGDOM INDUSTRIALISTS AND THE PERIOD OF SECONDMENT ONE WEEK - OF TEACHERS TO INDUSTRY WAS NOT ENOUGH. NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS FELT THAT A GREAT DEAL WAS ACHIEVED.

A SIMILAR EXPERIMENT WAS CARRIED OUT IN NORTH-WEST STAFFORDSHIRE IN ENGLAND. AN EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY LIAISON ASSOCIATION** WHICH PROMOTES MEETINGS AND SETS UP DISSCUSSION PANELS HAS BEEN IN OPERATION. THIS TOO HAS PROVED TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

MR. WATERS ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE SET-UP WITHIN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR ADMINISTERING TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

THE DEPARTMENT'S