XN000022-1987-06-02 — Page 6

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1987

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EDUCATION MUST MEET THE NEEDS OF CHANGING SOCIETY

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EDUCATION MUST BE PREPARED TO MEET THE GROWING EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RAPIDLY CHANGING AND PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY OF HONG KONG, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (CHIEF INSPECTORATE), MR SO FAI-CHO, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION CEREMONY FOR THE FIFTH COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS PROJECT COMPETITION, MR SO SAID YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE 80'S WERE GROWING UP IN A WORLD IN WHICH MODERN TECHNOLOGY WAS CONSTANTLY IMPINGING UPON THE IR LIVES.

+THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS HAVE MUCH TO OFFER IN PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THESE CHANGES, HE SAID.

NOTING THAT THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS OFFERING COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS IN SENIOR SECONDARY FORMS WAS NOW RAPIDLY INCREASING, MR SO SAID THAT SOME 20 000 CANDIDATES ENTERED FOR THIS YEAR'S HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION IN PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTS.

THE STUDY OF PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTS AND COMMERCE SHOWED STUDENTS HOW THE WORLD OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE OPERATED AND HELPED THEM APPRECIATE HOW AND WHY CERTAIN FINANCIAL DECISIONS WERE MADE, MR SO ADDED.

+ IF ONE LOOKS AT THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF KEYBOARD SKILLS, FOR EXAMPLE, BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF MICRO-ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY, THEN IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT THESE WILL PLAY AN EVER-INCREASING ROLE IN FURTHER STUDY, IN THE HOME AND ART WORK,+ MR SO SAID.

+HENCE, BASIC TRAINING IN TYPEWRITING IS OBVIOUSLY A

VALUABLE SKILL FOR ANY STUDENTS, HE CONTINUED.

BY INVOLVING STUDENTS IN REALISTIC TASKS IN THE COMPETITION THAT BROUGHT THEM INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE COMMERCIAL WORLD, MR SO SAID, IT ALSO MADE A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO CIVIC EDUCATION.

+ IN THIS WAY, STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY ON THE ASPECT OF HONG KONG AS AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FINANCIAL CENTRE IS FOSTERED AND A WIDE RANGE OF INTER-PERSONAL SKILLS DEVELOPED.+

THE COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS PROJECT COMPETITION WAS ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND SPONSORED BY THE CHINESE GOLD AND SILVER EXCHANGE SOCIETY TO STIMULATE INTEREST AMONG SECONDARY STUDENTS IN VARIOUS COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG.

THERE WERE