XN000022-1977-05-22 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 1977

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE EDUCATION PROBLEM

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CHILDREN IN THE SIX TO 11 AGE GROUP WHO DO NOT ATTEND PRIMARY SCHOOL MAY BE ENCOURAGED TO DO SO BY NEW TEACHING METHODS ALLOWING GREATER DEGREE OF PUPIL PARTICIPATION.

THE NEED TO PUBLICISE PRIMARY EDUCATION AND TO MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING AND STIMULATING WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN TODAY'S (SUNDAY) RTHK IN PERSPECTIVE+ DISCUSSION PROGRAMME ON THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION+.

THE PANEL TAKING PART IN THE DISCUSSION INCLUDED MR. DAVID LEUNG, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PRIMARY)- MR. YEUNG SUM, EDUCATION ACTION GROUP RESPRESENTATIVE MR. LAM KA MAN, SUBSIDISED PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS' ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE- MR. LUK TSANG YUEN, SUPERVISOR, FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION SCHOOLS AND MR. WONG CHI CHING, GUEST COMMENTATOR.

THEY ATTEMPTED TO IDENTIFY THE BASIC REASON WHY PARENTS KEEP THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME INSTEAD OF SENDING THEM TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

FREQUENT ABSENCE AT SEA WAS THOUGHT TO BE A MAJOR REASON PREVENTING FISHERMEN FROM SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

MR. LUK TSANG YUEN POINTED OUT THAT THE RELATIVELY EARLY RETIREMENT AGE OF SOME FISHERMEN FURTHER COMPLICATED THE ISSUE BY PUTTING THE BURDEN OF EARNING THE FAMILY LIVELIHOOD ONTO WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

FOR THE POPULATION AT LARGE, THE PANEL THOUGHT THAT IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE HUSBANDS AND WIVES HAD TO GO OUT TO WORK, OLDER CHILDREN WERE FREQUENTLY RELIED UPON TO LOOK AFTER YOUNGER BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THUS DEPRIVED OF THE CHANCE OF RECEIVING EDUCATION.

THE EXPENSES REQUIRED FOR SENDING A CHILD TO SCHOOL, SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION FEES AND MONEY FOR UNIFORMS BECAME A DETERRENT FACTOR WHEN SEVERAL CHILDREN OF THE FAMILY REACHED SCHOOL AGE.

LACK OF INTEREST IN SCHOOL LIFE MIGHT BE ANOTHER LESS APPARENT, BUT NEVERTHELESS DOMINANT REASON FOR SCHOOL DROP-OUTS. MEMBERS OF THE PANEL THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE CAUSED EITHER BY THE LOW INTELLIGENCE LEVEL OF THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES, THE DULL TEACHING METHOD, OR EVEN THE LARGE PROPORTION OF ENGLISH TEACHING MATERIAL USED IN CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

CONCERNING THIS ASPECT, MR. DAVID LEUNG SAID THAT THE TEACHING METHOD IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS HAD BEEN SHIFTING TO ONE IN WHICH THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES TOOK A MORE ACTIVE PART, THUS THE LEARNING PROCESS BECAME MUCH MORE INTERESTING AND LIVELY.

NARROWING DOWN THE SCOPE OF THE DISCUSSION, MR. LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN CONCENTRATING THEIR EFFORTS ON THE PROBLEM OF SCHOOL DROP-OUTS, AND WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, STAFF OF THE EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENTS HAD BEEN ABLE TO BRING THE TRACEABLE ONES BACK TO SCHOOL.

/HOWEVER,