XN000022-1986-12-12 — Page 15

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1986

+IT WOULD NOT BE SPENDING THIS SORT OF MONEY IF IT WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT THE SERVICE SERVES A USEFUL PURPOSE.

+ I HOPE BOTH PARENTS AND PUPILS WILL MAKE FULL USE OF THIS SERVICE,+ SHE SAID.

ON SEEKING HELP FROM SCHOOL AND TEACHERS, MRS CHAN SAID THAT TEACHERS REPRESENTED A NEEDED AUTHORITY FIGURE IN THE MATURING PROCESS OF ALL YOUNGSTERS.

SHE SAID THAT PUPILS COULD SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SCHOOLMATES BUT FOR DIRECTION AND SOUND ADVICE, THEY SHOULD TURN TO THEIR TEACHERS WHO HAVE THEIR WELFARE AT HEART AND WHO WOULD DO THEIR BEST TO HELP THEM RESOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS AND TO STEER THEM ALONG THE RIGHT ROAD.

HOWEVER, SHE SAID, ULTIMATELY IT WAS THE PARENTS WHO HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE OVER THEIR OFFSPRINGS THROUGH THE QUALITY OF LOVE THAT THEY PROVIDED AND THROUGH THEIR GUIDANCE, DISCIPLINE AND THE WAY THEY THEMSELVES BEHAVED.

+MOST PARENTS PROVIDE THE NECESSARY MATERIAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT THAT ALL CHILDREN REQUIRE FOR THEIR NORMAL AND HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT.

+THEIR ROLE CANNOT NE REPLACED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR BY SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS, SHE SAID.

SHE CONCEDED THAT SOME PARENTS WERE FOUND WANTING, ADDING THAT GOOD PARENTING SKILLS HAD TO BE ACQUIRED.

SHE SAID THAT PARENTS COULD SEEK HELP ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS FROM THE FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES OPERATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND FROM THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER.

MRS CHAN BEGAN HER SPEECH BY PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LATE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE. SHE SAID THAT HISTORY WOULD RECORD SIR EDWARD'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FIELD BUT THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD BE BEST REMEMBERED FOR HIS VERY HUMAN QUALITIES HIS MODESTY, TOLERATION OF DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS AND HIS COMPASSION AND CONCERN FOR THE COMMON MAN.

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