XN000022-1975-11-15 — Page 2

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1975

FLEXIBLE AND DYNAMIC EDUCATION TO MEET CHALLENGES OF PRESENT AGE

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EDUCATION MUST BE SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE AND DYNAMIC TO SERVE A CONSTANTLY CHANGING, COMPLEX AND INTER-DEPENDENT WORLD, AND YET RETAIN THE VALUES VICH HAVE SURVIVED THE TEST OF CHANGING SOCIAL ORDERS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PROFESSIONAL), MR. HO NGA-MING, TOLD THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE HONG KONG TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION THIS AFTERNOON.

THIS FLEXIBILITY WAS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES IN THE PRESENT AGE RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE.

+THE NUCLEAR AGE. THE WELFARE STATE, NEW FORMS OF MASS COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT, AND THE EXPLORATIONS OF OUTER SPACE ALL PRESENT CHALLENGES TO ACCEPTED PATTERNS OF LIVING AND BEHAVIOUR,+ MR. HO SAID.

AS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRESSIVELY CHANGED THE FORMS OF LIVING AND WORKING IN HONG KONG, MORE AND MORE CHILDREN WOULD FACE A VOCATIONAL FUTURE INVOLVING THE MONOTONY AND ROUTINE OF MASS PRODUCTION AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF INCREASED LEISURE.

IT IS THEREFORE AN IMPORTANT TASK OF THE SCHOOL TO ENRICH THE CHILD'S AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE BY EXPOSING HIM TO THE FIRST-RATE IN LITERATURE, MUSIC, ART AND CRAFT AND DY PROMOTING HIS ZESTFUL PARTICIPATION IN A VARIETY OF FORMS OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION, MR. HO SAID..

THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR SPOKE ABOUT THE TEACHER'S THREEFOLD DUTY FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL POINT OF VIEW.

HE SAID THE FIRST AND RATHER OBVIOUS DUTY OF THE TEACHER WAS TO EXPLAIN THE CHILD'S ENVIRONMENT. THE CURRICULUM SHOULD BE SO DESIGNED AS TO INTERPRET THE ENVIRONMENT TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS WHO WERE GROWING UP IN IT.

MR. HO ADDED: THE TEACHER'S FIRST DUTY IS TO HELP THEM REALISE WHAT LIES AROUND THEM IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT BECOMES AN EFFECTIVE PART OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE. BUT THE TEACHER HAS ALSO A SECOND DUTY, PERHAPS LESS OBVIOUS BUT CERTAINLY NO LESS IMPORTANT THAT IS, TO SUPPLY WHAT IS LACKING IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

+IN MORE POSITIVE TERMS, PARTS OF THE CURRICULUM SHOULD COMPLETE THE ENVIRONMENT SO THAT THE CHILD'S GROWTH AS A WHOLE MAY BE HARMONIOUS AND WELL-BALANCED. FOR EXAMPLE,

FOR EXAMPLE, THE CHILD BROUGHT UP IN THE CITY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IGNORANT OF THE LIFE AND VALUES OF THE COUNTRYSIDE- NEITHER SHOULD THE VILLAGE CHILD BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IGNORANT OF THE LIFE AND VALUES OF THE CITY.

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