XN000022-1982-07-20 — Page 11

TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1982

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HAYE STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICAL STUDIES

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EDUCATIONALISTS HAVE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS RECOGNISED THE TREMENDOUS POTENTIALITIES OF PRACTICAL STUDIES IN HELPING TO DEVELOP THE CREATIVE AND INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES OF YOUNG PEOPLE, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR COLVYN HAYE, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE FIRST YOUNG HONG KONG DESIGNER OF THE YEAR AWARD COMPETITION 1982 AT LA SALLE COLLEGE, MR HAYE SAID THE DAYS WHEN SCHOOLS WERE JUST CONCERNED WITH MANIPULATIVE SKILLS DEVELOPED THROUGH STANDARD, BORING EXERCISES WERE GONE.

HE SAID PRACTICAL EDUCATION HAD DEVELOPED CONSIDERABLY OVER THE PAST DECADE, AND THE TITLE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY' DESCRIBED MORE ADEQUATELY THAN WOODWORK OR METALWORK THE WIDE SPECTRUM OF ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN SCHOOL WORKSHOPS.

HE SAID: THE PRINCIPAL AIM OF WOODWORK AND METALWORK WAS THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF BOYS, MAINLY THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF SKILLS.

+DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY EXTEND THIS TO PROVIDE A FULLER EXPERIENCE IN WHICH COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT FEATURES MORE STRONGLY. THE CENTRAL AIM IS TO GIVE BOTH GIRLS AND BOYS CONFIDENCE IN IDENTIFYING, EXAMINING AND FINALLY SOLVING PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE USE OF MATERIALS.

MR HAYE SAID DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY, THROUGH THE FULL SEQUENCE OF DESIGNING AND MAKING, NOW MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO GENERAL EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF TRANSFERABLE SKILLS AND POSITIVE PERSONAL ATTITUDES.

+ALL PUPILS SHOULD ACQUIRE A GENERAL PRACTICAL COMPETENCE, AND A SOUND APPROACH TO THE RESOLVING OF PRACTICAL PROBLEMS,+ HE SAID.

MR HAYE BELIEVED ALL INDUSTRIALISTS WOULD AGREE THAT MOTIVATION, KEENNESS TO LEARN AND ABILITY TO PROGRESS STEADILY WERE EXPECTED OF ALL ENTRANTS TO INDUSTRY, AND EMPLOYERS WOULD SEEK YOUNGSTERS WHO COULD WORK EITHER INDEPENDENTLY OR IN A TEAM.

HE SAID: THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT HONG KONG NEEDS CREATIVE, IMAGINATIVE YOUNG PEOPLE, AND I BELIEVE THAT DESIGN-BASED STUDIES WILL HELP TO PRODUCE THE FLEXIBLE, ADAPTABLE PEOPLE OUR INDUSTRIES WILL REQUIRE IN THE FUTURE.+

AN EXHIBITION OF WINNING ENTRIES AND ENTRIES WHICH RECEIVED COMMENDATION DURING THE COMPETITION, WHICH WAS ORGANISED BY THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN COUNCIL AND THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, WILL BE HELD AT LA SALLE COLLEGE FROM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) TO JULY 23.

TEACHERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO SEE THE EXHIBITION, WHICH WILL BE OPEN DAILY BETWEEN 10 AM TO NOON AND 2 PM TO 4 PM.