XN000022-1977-04-06 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1977

TEACHERS URGED TO IMPROVE PUPILS' BEHAVIOUR

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AN UNDERSTANDING AND SYMPATHETIC TEACHER CAN DO MUCH TO IMPROVE THE BEHAVIOUR OF HIS PUPILS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PROFESSIONAL) MR. HO NGA-MING SAID TODAY.

+HOWEVER, IT IS SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE FOR TEACHERS TO SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE IR PUPILS, ESPECIALLY PROBLEMS RELATING TO FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND OTHER SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

+HERE ARE AREAS WHERE THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS COME IN, WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF TEACHERS, THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER CAN BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL AND INTERPRET EACH TO THE OTHER,+ MR. HO EMPHASISED.

THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR WAS ADDRESSING ABOUT 230 SCHOOL HEADS, TEACHERS AND OFFICIALS OF THE EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENTS WHO ATTENDED THE SECOND SEMINAR ON SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK SERVICE AT CLEMENTI MIDDLE SCHOOL.

MR. HO, WHO OPENED THE SEMINAR, SAID THAT BROADLY SPEAKING SCHOOL CHILDREN HAD EITHER ACADEMIC OR BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS AND BOTH TYPES WERE VERY OFTEN INTER-RELATED,

HE ADDED: TEACHERS, BY VIRTUE OF THE IR TRAINING AND DAY-TO-DAY CONTACT WITH PUPILS, CAN DEAL WITH MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS.+

AN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, MRS. GRACE YUNG SAID THAT CASES REFERRED TO HER SECTION MAINLY CONCERNED ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS.

THEREFORE, SHE SAID, IT IS CONSIDERED THAT TEACHERS AND SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS SHOULD GIVE MORE EMPHASIS TO INCIDENCES OF UNSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR ENCOUNTERED.+

MRS. YUNG SAID SCHOOL TEACHERS WOULD RATE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OF DISHONESTY, DISOBEDIENCE, LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND INATTENTIVENESS AS THE MOST SERIOUS BEHAVIOUR PROBLEM IN CHILDREN.

SHE SAID THAT MORE CHILDREN WERE SUFFERING FROM THREATS OF EMOTIONAL ANXIETY AS WELL AS INSECURITY, EXPRESSING THEIR DIFFICULTY IN BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS.

+ IT IS THUS ADVISABLE THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD VIEW THE MANIFESTED PROBLEMS IN THEIR RIGHT PERSPECTIVE AND APPROACH THEM WITH ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING WITHOUT CONSIDERING SUCH OCCURRENCES A DISGRACE TO THE SCHOOL, MRS. YUNG STRESSED.

/IF EARLY