XN000022-1982-06-18 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1982

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ART EDUCATION DESIRABLE, SIR PHILIP SAYS

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ART EDUCATION IS CLEARLY A DESIRABLE ELEMENT OF A SCHOOL SYLLABUS AND THIS HAS BEEN RECOGNISED FOR SOME YEARS NOW, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

IN A SPEECH GIVEN AT THE CARITAS ART SHOW AT THE CITY HALL, SIR PHILIP NOTED THAT TWO-THIRDS OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS OFFER ART AS A SUBJECT AND 30 OF THESE SCHOOLS HAVE ACQUIRED CUSTOM-BUILT AND EQUIPPED STUDIOS WITH HELP FROM PUBLIC FUNDS.

THE TEXT OF SIR PHILIP'S SPEECH FOLLOWS:

+THE CARITAS BIANCHI COLLEGE OF CAREERS IS TO BE CONGRATULATED ON MOUNTING AN ADVERTISING AND COMMERCIAL ART COURSE FOR SUITABLE STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE IR EDUCATION UP TO FORM FIVE.

+ SAY THIS FOR TWO RELATED REASONS ON THE ONE HAND, OPPORTUNITIES ARE THEREBY PROVIDED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, WITH APPROPRIATE TALENTS, TO BE TRAINED FOR PRODUCTIVE WORK WITH A SENSE OF FULFILMENT.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, THE GRADUATES OF THIS COURSE MEET A GROWING DEMAND FOR DESIGN SKILLS AS OUR ECONOMY DIVERSIFIES AND, AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WILL SURELY PLAY A PART IN LIFTING THE STANDARD OF INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DESIGN IN HONG KONG.

+ALTHOUGH SCHOOL ART SYLLABUSES ARE ESSENTIALLY NON-VOCATIONAL IN NATURE, THEY PROVIDE A GROUNDING IN THE BASIS OF ALL FORMS OF VISUAL EXPRESSION, NAMELY, DRAWING AND PAINTING AND PARTICULARLY DRAWING,

+THESE SUBJECTS CONSTITUTE THE FINE ART SIDE OF ART SYLLABUSES, BUT DESIGN IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AND THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF FINE ART AND DESIGN HAS ALSO BEEN STRESSED.

+NEVERTHELESS, WITHOUT A GROUNDING IN PAINTING AND DRAWING, VOCATIONAL ART EDUCATION WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE AND THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS THAT ADEQUATE RESOURCES MUST BE PROVIDED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS SO THAT ASPIRANT DESIGNERS CAN BE PREPARED FOR ENTRY TO SUCH INSTITUTIONS AS THE BIANCHI COLLEGE.

+BUT ART EDUCATION IS CLEARLY A DESIRABLE ELEMENT OF A SCHOOL SYLLABUS IN ITS OWN RIGHT AND THIS HAS BEEN RECOGNISED FOR SOME YEARS NOW.

+TWO-THIRDS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR OFFER ART AS A SUBJECT- AND 30 OF THESE SCHOOLS HAVE ACQUIRED CUSTOM-BUILT AND EQUIPPED STUDIOS WITH ASSISTANCE FROM PUBLIC FUNDS.

/+VIRTUALLY ALL