XN000022-1975-07-26 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1975

23 SCHOOLS TO INTRODUCE NEW DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY SYLLABUS

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THE NEW DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY SYLLABUS, WHICH LAYS MORE STRESS IN THE CREATIVE AND INTELLECTUAL ASPECT OF WORKING WITH MATERIALS, WILL BE INTRODUCED TO FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS IN 23 SECONDARY SCHOOLS" IN THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR.

THIS WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY BY MR. DANIEL WATERS, ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF AN 13-WEEK IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSE ON DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE ¡ORRISON HILL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE.

MR. WATERS SAID THE SCHOOLS WHICH WOULD BE ADOPTING THE NEW SYLLABUS WOULD BE CAREFULLY MONITORED BY THE TECHNICAL INSPECTORATE WHOSE MAJOR TASK WILL BE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE TEACHERS.

THE TEACHERS WHO COMPLETED THE COURSE HAD INTERPRETED THE

·SYLLABUS AND PRODUCED THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL LESSON PROGRAMME FOR USE AS TEACHING AIDS IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR.

AS FAR AS HONG KONG WAS CONCERNED, MR. WATERS SAID, THIS NEW METHOD OF TEACHING WOULD BE MORE DEMANDING ON THE TEACHERS. +NOT ONLY WILL THEY NOT BE ABLE TO RELY ON THE OLD STANDARD EXERCISES IUT THEY WILL ALSO BE CALLED UPON TO USE THEIR INITIATIVE TO PRODUCE A CREATIVE PROGRAMME OF WORK.+

IN OCTODER, HE WENT ON, ANOTHER DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY IN-SERVICE COURSE WILL BE ORGANISED AND HE ENVISAGED THAT BY THEN MORE SCHOOLS WOULD SEE THE MERITS OF TEACHING THIS SUBJECT.

MR. WATERS NOTED THAT THE COURSE WHICH JUST ENDED HAD PROVIDED TEACHERS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THE DESIGN PROCESS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO TECHNOLOGY.

+WHAT HAS BEEN CENTRAL TO THE WHOLE COURSE IS THE VIEW THAT IT IS EDUCATIONALLY DESIRABLE TO LOOK BEYOND MANIPULATIVE SKILLS TO THE PROCESS WHICH IS THE BASIS OF MATERIAL BASED WORK AND ITS OBVIOUS INTER-RELATED LINKS WITH TECHNOLOGY.

DESIGN

+SUCH A PROCESS IS CLEARLY CLOSE TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PROCESSES OF CREATIVE EDUCATION THE ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS RATIONALLY AND TO MAKE DECISIONS.+

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