WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1985
NEED ALSO FOR ARTS EDUCATION STRESSED
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THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WAS +STRONGLY URGED TO FOCUS ITS ATTENTION ON ARTS EDUCATION.
HON ALEX WU, SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S NO. 1 REPORT, SAID HE NOTED WITH CONCERN AND REGRET THE ABSENCE OF ANY REFERENCE TO THE ARTS IN EDUCATION IN THE NEXT PHASE OF THE COMMISSION'S WORK.
+ THE ARTS MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED: THEY MUST NOT BE RELEGATED TO SCHOOL EXTRA-CURRICULAR CLUBS,+ HE SAID.
+THEY ARE NOT PERIPHERAL TO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM, BUT RATHER ARE CENTRAL TO EDUCATION, IF WE STILL HOLD TO THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATION AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE MAN.
THE EDUCATION COMMISSION ITSELF HAD AFFIRMED ITS BELIEF IN EDUCATION AS THE MEANS WHEREBY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN STRIVE FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, SOCIAL WELL-BEING AS WELL AS PERSONAL FULFILMENT.+
+1 APPLAUD THIS SENTIMENT,+ MR WU SAID.
+BUT I AM CONVINCED THAT EDUCATION WILL FULFIL THIS VITAL ROLE ONLY IF IT IS EDUCATION IN THE BROADEST AND FULLEST SENSE OF THE WORD.
+SURELY, THE ARTS MUST BE RECOGNISED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY SUCH ÉDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
+1, THEREFORE, STRONGLY URGE THE EDUCATION COMMISSION IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO FOCUS ITS ATTENTION ON THIS BASIC ISSUE, THE ARTS IN EDUCATION. +
ON LANGUAGE
MR WU NOTED THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE REPORT FOR A PROGRESSIVE SHIFT FROM MOTHER-TONGUE EDUCATION IN KINDERGARTENS AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO GENUINELY BI-LINGUAL PROGRAMMES IN THE JUNIOR SECONDARY FORMS.
+ I AM DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT THE EDUCATION COMMISSION ENDORSES THIS VIEW,+ MR WU SAID, QUOTING A PARAGRAPH FROM THE REPORT WHICH STATED: +FOR HONG KONG TO RETAIN ITS POSITION AS A LEADING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF FINANCE, TRADE AND INDUSTRY, WE ARE CONVINCED THAT BILINGUAL ISM IS ESSENTIAL. +
HE FULLY SUPPORTED THIS VIEW,
HONG KONG'S NEXT GENERATION MUST BE COMPETENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, BUT HE WAS CONCERNED, TAKING THE PRESENT SITUATION INTO CONSIDERATION, WHETHER HONG KONG WAS READY FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION.
/THE GOVERNOR
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