XN000022-1980-10-29 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1980

SCHOOLS HAVE IMPORTANT INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN

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PARENTS AND TEACHERS EXERT EQUALLY POWERFUL INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR KENNETH TOPLEY SAID TODAY.

HE WAS OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS MRS WU YORK YU MEMORIAL COLLEGE IN KWAI CHUNG.

MAKING AN ANALOGY BETWEEN A SCHOOL AND THE FAMILY, MR TOPLEY SAID AS A FAMILY PREPARES A CHILD FOR ADULT LIFE, LIKEWISE A SCHOOL SHOULD BE CONCERNED NOT ONLY WITH IMPARTING INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE BUT ALSO WITH HELPING PUPILS DEVELOP TO EMOTIONAL MATURITY, ENABLING THEM TO FACE THE VARIED CHALLENGES OF SOCIETY.+

BOTH PARENTS AND TEACHERS HAVE EQUALLY IMPORTANT EFFECTS ON THE CHILDREN BECAUSE FROM THEM THE CHILDREN PICK UP NOT ONLY KNOWLEDGE, BUT MORE IMPORTANT ABSORB IDEAS AND ATTITUDES WHICH COULD MOULD THEIR CHARACTERS AND ESTABLISH PATTERNS OF THINKING WHICH REMAIN WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE IR LIVES.

+IN A COOPERATIVE, FAMILY-LIKE SETTING THE PUPILS LEARN MUCH BETTER AND ABSORB THE COOPERATIVE ATTITUDES, OBJECTIVITY, LOYALTY AND STABILITY EXEMPLIFIED BY THEIR TEACHERS,+ MR TOPLEY SAID.

IN THIS WAY COMPETITION IS MINIMISED, AND PUPILS WORK HARD TO GAIN COMPETENCE IN PARTICULAR SUBJECTS RATHER THAN TO OUTSHINE ONE ANOTHER, HE ADDED.

IN THE CASE OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP WHICH HAS A FAMILY OF SCHOOLS, THE DIRECTOR SAID THE SENSE OF FAMILY AND ABILITY TO IDENTIFY WITH THE GROUP MUST BE A GREAT SOURCE OF STRENGTH TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RUNNING OF THE SCHOOLS.

+ IT MUST ALSO ENABLE THE TRANSMISSION OF A FEELING OF SECURITY DOWN FROM THE GROUP THROUGH THE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS TO THE PUPILS IN SHORT THE FEELING OF SECURITY WHICH EXISTS IN A WELL-KNIT, WELL-RUN FAMILY, HE SAID.

THE TUNG WAH GROUP NOW RUNS TWO KINDERGARTENS, SEVEN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND SEVEN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

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