XN000022-1976-03-24 — Page 10

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1976

ON THE SUBJECT OF BOUGHT PLACES, MRS. SYMONS SAID SHE SHARED THE CONCERN OF THOSE WHO WERE WORRIED ABOUT QUALITY. BUT SHE DID NOT AGREE WITH SOME CRITICS WHO WOULD RATHER CHILDREN BE UNSCHOOLED THAN THAT THEY SHOULD BE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS,

SHE ESTIMATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT TEN YEARS BEFORE THERE WOULD BE GOVERNMENT AND AIDED PLACES IN NORMAL+ SCHOOLS, NOT EXTENDED DAY, FLOTATION AND BOUGHT PLACE IMPROVISATIONS. +ANOTHER GENERATION WILL HAVE GROWN UP AND ONE CAN ONLY SAY THAT THE CO-OPERATION OF ALL TYPES OF SCHOOLS HELPED SUCH CHILDREN THROUGH THE INTERREGNUM.+

SHE CONTINUED THAT IF STRENUOUS EFFORTS WERE MADE TO IMPROVE QUALITY DESPITE THE MAXIMISATION OF QUANTITY THERE WAS SOME HOPE THAT AFTER A PERIOD OF CONSOLIDATION HONG KONG WOULD SEE EVOLVE EDUCATION FOR ITS YOUNG PEOPLE WHICH WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR THE YOUTH OF TOMORROW, WHEREVER THEY MAY GO, WHATEVER THEY MAY DO.

MRS. SYMONS WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE IDEA THAT +CLEVER+ TEACHERS TEACH THE SIXTH FORM AND NOT ELSEWHERE WAS +A DETERRENT TO A HEALTHY ATTITUDE TO WORK.+

+UNWITTINGLY PERHAPS WE HAVE ENGENDERED THIS. TO SAY HOWEVER SINCERELY TO A YOUNG PERSON YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A UNIVERSITY GRADUATE TO BE A HUMAN BEING BORDERS ON THE VERGE OF LUNACY. TO THE INCREDULOUS LISTENER.

*THE DAYS OF UNQUESTIONING ARE MERCIFULLY OVER - OUR YOUNG WILL WANT TO DISCOVER DREAMS AND REALITIES FOR THEMSELVES, THEY WILL NOT BE CONTENT TO STUDY FACTS AND REGURGITATE THEM IN EXAMINATIONS, THEY WILL WANT TO ASSESS AND EVALUATE, AND ALL CONCERNED WITH EDUCATION WILL HAVE TO RE-EQUIP THEMSELVES TO CONTINUE AS GUIDES, PHILOSOPHERS AND FRIENDS.+

MRS. SYMONS CONCLUDED THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAD SET ASIDE THE MONEY IT NOW REST WITH THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TO USE IT VERY JUDICIOUSLY TO MARK A NEW ERA IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

WHETHER THIS WOULD PROVE TO BE MEANINGFUL OR NOT WOULD DEPEND ON ALL INVOLVED IN THIS FIELD. IT MUST REMAIN THE SUPREME DUTY OF THE GOVERNMENT TO FOSTER THE FLEXIBILITY OF SCHOOLS, TO ENCOURAGE OLD SCHOOLS TO HELP NEW ONES, RESPECTING THE INDIVIDUALITY AND INTEGRITY OF EACH SCHOOL.

THAT WAS WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY MEANT IN THE LONG RUN, +AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT GIVEN GOODWILL WE WILL DEVELOP ́A SYSTEM OF EDUCATION USEFUL TO ALL STUDENTS WHO IN OUR CITY WILL BE ENABLED THROUGH ITS PROVISION TO SERVE HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE.

+ IF WE ARE ALL ACCOUNTABLE WE WILL NOT FAIL THE YOUNG- IF WE DO, WE WILL FALL TO ASHES - CAN WE BE SURE THEN A PHOENIX WILL ARISE? LET US BE ON SOLID ROCK AND BUILD WISELY WITH ACCOUNTABILITY TO ALL, SHE ADDED.

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