XN000022-1980-11-14 — Page 2

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1980

SIR JACK: SCOPE FOR MORAL EDUCATION

*****

THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR JACK CATER, SAID TODAY THE CONTENT AND QUALITY OF WHAT IS TAUGHT IN SCHOOL is "OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE AND SHOULD BE AIMED AT PREPARING YOUNG PEOPLE TO BECOME FUTURE CITIZENS OF HONG KONG,

IN AN ADDRESS GIVEN AT THE SPEECH DAY AND OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW EXTENSION OF ST STEPHEN'S COLLEGE, SIR JACK SAID HONG KONG HAD TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE SWEPT UP IN THE MATERIALISM OF THIS MOST MATERIALISTIC SOCIETY+, WHO ONLY HAD CONCERN FOR MAKING MONEY AND NONE FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

IT IS A FAILING OF OUR SOCIETY AND PERHAPS PARTICULARLY

OF OUR EDUCATION, HE SAID.

TO DEVELOP GOOD CITIZENS, HE SAID, THERE MUST BE ROUNDED DEVELOPMENT: +THAT MEANS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH AND BY THE MANY ASPECTS OF EDUCATION: AND OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE IS MORAL AND SPIRITUAL EDUCATION.

HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE UNWISE AND UNFAIR TO PUT THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO0 LARGELY ON SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS AS IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO WORK OUT A COMPREHENSIVE SYLLABUS IN MORAL EDUCATION ACCEPTABLE TO ALL SCHOOLS.

HONG KONG IS A PLURALIST SOCIETY AND MANY PEOPLE ARE GENUINELY AGNOSTIC, UNCERTAIN ABOUT QUESTIONS SUCH AS ABSOLUTE STANDARDS AND THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF LIFE, HE SAID.

+YOUNG PEOPLE CAN BE VERY PERCEPTIVE AND CRITICAL, AND IF TEACHERS WERE EXPECTED TO INCULCATE A CODE OF MORAL CONDUCT ABOUT WHICH THEY THEMSELVES MIGHT BE DOUBTFUL, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MORE HARM THAN GOOD MIGHT RESULT, HE EXPLAINED.

·

SIR JACK FELT THAT THE FAMILY. WHICH IS THE FOUNDATION OF SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, SHOULD FIRST AND FOREMOST PROVIDE SUCH EDUCATION.

+ IT IS PARENTS WHO ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE, BY THEIR EXAMPLE AND PRECEPTS, FOR ENDEAVOURING TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CHILDREN DEVELOP A SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG, A RESPECT FOR OTHER PEOPLE, AND FRANKNESS AND HONESTY IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS.+

HOWEVER, SIR JACK SAID, HE WAS NOT SAYING THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD STAND ASIDE FROM THIS QUESTION AND SIMPLY CONCENTRATE ON ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL STANDARDS.

/+WHETHER OR