XN000022-1978-05-24 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1978

SHE SAID HOWEVER THAT THESE VALUES SHOULD NOT BE TAUGHT ONLY BY PRECEPT BUT BY EXAMPLE. PROPER USE OF LITERATURE AND PARTICIPATION IN ARTISTIC ENDEAVOURS WOULD DO MORE FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION THAN LEARNING DREARY TEXTBOOKS ON MORAL BEHAVIOUR.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN REGRETTED THAT THE RECOMMENDED SYLLABUSES PREPARED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAVE NOT YET BEEN ADOPTED ON A WIDE SCALE BY THE SCHOOLS.

HE SAID ALL SCHOOL GUIDANCE OFFICERS AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKERS SHOULD PROMOTE SUCH EDUCATION THROUGH TALKS, SEMINARS AND DISCUSSIONS. WITH MR. WONG LAM, HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THE SYLLABUSES AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM.

RESEARCH AND TRAINING

MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC GROUP FELT THAT THE FORECAST OF THE DEMAND FOR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK WAS EXTREMELY ARBITRARY AND SUGGESTED THAT MORE RESEARCH BE CONDUCTED TO PROVIDE .MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR THE PLANNERS.

THEY ALSO FELT STRONGLY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING IN THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER.

MISS BENNETT REGRETTED THAT THE METHODS OF TRAINING WERE NOT CLEARLY LAID DOWN. SHE SAID EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND.. PSYCHIATRISTS WERE DESPERATELY SHORT AND THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED TO ATTRACT BACK THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND ARE WORK ING OVERSEAS, TO SERVE THE FUTURE YOUNG PEOPLE OF HONG KONG,

IN REPLY, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, MR. E. P. HO SAID THE AIM OF PERSONAL SOCIAL WORK IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GREEN PAPER IS TO GUIDE AND HELP THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE VULNERABLE, TO DELINQUENT INFLUENCES, TO BECOME BETTER ADJUSTED MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

HE SAID THIS IS AN AREA OF RELATIVELY NEW ENDEAVOUR, AND HONG KONG IS NOT ALONE IN THIS REGARD,

+BUT IN THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE SOME LEEWAY TO CATCH UP AND WHERE WE ARE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THE MOST PROGRESS WITH THE LIMITED PROFRESSIONAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US, HE SAID.

HE ALSO EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE INTO MATURE, RESPONSIBLE AND CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

+EVIDENCE OF THIS IS AVAILABLE IN THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE

IN THE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES IN RECENT YEARS WHICH CATER

SPEC IF ICALLY OR LARGELY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, UNDER THE GENERAL GUIDANCE AND OVERALL DIRECTION OF THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS.

/M. HO