XN000022-1988-03-16 — Page 47

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988

CIVIC EDUCATION THROUGH EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TAKES ITS RESPONSIBILITY OF PROMOTING CIVIC EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS VERY SERIOUSLY IN THE HOPE THAT ALL OF THE 1.25 MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE NOW IN SCHOOL WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME USEFUL AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR Y.T. LI, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG ISLAND EAST LUNCHEON MEETING, MR LI SAID: "IN PERFORMING OUR TASK, WE HAVE BEEN VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY WHICH IS BOTH EDUCATIONALLY SOUND AND OPERATIONALLY FEASIBLE.

"AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT AND CONSULTATION, WE FINALLY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BEST WAY OF PROMOTING CIVIC EDUCATION IS NOT TO TEACH IT FORMALLY AS A SEPARATE SUBJECT BUT TO ADOPT A MUCH BROADER APPROACH AND FOSTER CIVIC EDUCATION THROUGH THE MANY OTHER RELEVANT SUBJECTS NOW TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOLS AND THROUGH EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

"THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE 'WHOLE-SCHOOL' APPROACH WHICH HAS ALREADY PROVED TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE PROMOTION OF MORAL EDUCATION AND SEX EDUCATION, HE SAID.

CITING AN EXAMPLE, MR LI SAID THE VERY POPULAR EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY WHICH WAS VERY CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIC EDUCATION AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN WAS THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUB (CYC) SCHEME.

THE CYC SCHEME INAUGURATED IN 1973 WAS SCHOOL-BASED, MR LI SAID, ADDING THAT THERE WERE CURRENTLY MORE THAN 234,000 MEMBERS IN ABOUT 930 PARTICIPATING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

"THE CYC AIMS AT ORGANISING YOUNG PEOPLE WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY - BY PARTICIPATING IN COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS, CO-OPERATING WITH OTHER CIVIC GROUPS IN SERVING THE COMMUNITY, PROMOTING CIVIC CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG FELLOW CITIZENS AND SETTING GOOD EXAMPLES BY THEIR OWN ACTIONS, MR LI SAID.

ON THE CYC'S WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES, MR LI SAID THE MAJOR EVENTS LAST YEAR INCLUDED AN EDUCATIONAL VISIT BY 24 OUTSTANDING MEMBERS TO SINGAPORE, A FOUR-DAY CAMP AT WU KAI SHA FOR 700 MEMBERS, A GRAND PARADE WITH MORE THAN 10,000 PARTICIPANTS, A FUN DAY FOR 900 ELDERLY PEOPLE AND A SERIES OF 13 TELEVISION PROGRAMMES LASTING 15 MINUTES EACH.

/HE SAID