XN000022-1980-01-10 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1980

TEACHER'S ROLE NOW MORE COMPLEX

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THE ROLF OF THE PRESENT DAY TEACHER IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND DEMANDING AND NOT SIMPLY ONE OF IMPARTING KNOWLEDGE CONTAINED IN TEXTBOOKS TO STUDENTS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

MR. TOPLEY WAS SPEAKING AT THE JOINT SPEECH DAY OF THE COGNITIO COLLEGE AT SAN PO KONG, KOWLOON.

A GOOD TEACHER, HE SAID, SHOULD +AWAKEN STUDENTS' INTEREST TO THINK INDEPENDENTLY AND CRITICALLY THROUGH THE LEARNING OF ALL SUBJECTS+.

THIS, MR. TOPLEY ADDED, WOULD MEAN THAT TEACHERS WOULD HAVE TO PUT IN EXTRA EFFORT AND PROFESSIONAL DEDICATION INTO THEIR WORK.

+STUDENTS SHOULD BE GIVEN AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK OUT AND SOLVE PROBLEMS INDEPENDENTLY IN IMAGINED AND REAL SITUATIONS.

+THEY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO ANALYSE THE RELATION BETWEEN CAUSE AND EFFECT, AND TO FIND OUT WHY ONE EVENT SHOULD LEAD TO ANOTHER. THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO EXPERIMENT AND ARRIVE AT THEIR OWN_CONCLUSIONS, TO COLLECT THE IR OWN DATA AND FORM THEIR OWN JUDGEMENTS, MR. TOPLEY SAID.

HE SAID THAT ANOTHER IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE TEACHER WAS TO HELP THE STUDENTS DEVELOP A HEALTHY, BALANCED PERSONALITY AND BUILD UP A KEEN SENSE OF SOCIAL AWARENESS.

ASIDE FROM SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE, THE TEACHER SHOULD BE ALIVE TO EACH ONE OF HIS STUDENTS' DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS AND NEEDS.

+HE SHOULD MAKE HIS STUDENTS FEEL THAT THEY MAY BRING TO HIM THE IR PERSONAL PROBLEMS, HOWEVER PETTY THESE MAY APPEAR, AND HE WILL BE THERE TO LISTEN AND OFFER HIS FRIENDLY COUNSEL AND ADVICE, MR. TOPLEY SAID.

FURTHER TO BUILD UP THE STUDENTS' SENSE OF SOCIAL AWARENESS, THE TEACHER SHOULD KINDLE THE IR INTEREST IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS BY INITIATING STUDY PROJECTS SUCH AS VISITS AND FIELD TRIPS TO OBTAIN FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF HOW COMMUNITY AGENCIES WORK.

COGNITIO COLLEGE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED 17 YEARS AGO BY A GROUP OF YOUNG AND ENTHUSIASTIC GRADUATES FROM HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, NOW HAS ITS OWN PURPOSE-BUILT SCHOOL BUILDINGS - ONE IN SAN PO KONG AND THE OTHER IN CHAI WAN,

LAST SEPTEMBER, THE COLLEGE JOINED THE SCHEME OF CONVERSION TO AIDED SCHOOL STATUS AND BY SEPTEMBER 1982 IT WILL RECEIVE FULL GOVERNMENT AID UNDER THE CODE OF AID FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

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