XN000022-1988-05-11 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1988

5.

IMPORTANCE OF MORAL EDUCATION RECOGNISED

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THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF MORAL EDUCATION AND THE GENERAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM HAD BEEN REVISED TO REFLECT GREATER AWARENESS OF THE KEY IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE REPORT ON YOUTH POLICY, MR BRIDGE SAID THAT IN 1981 THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ISSUED GENERAL GUIDELINES ON MORAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS.

THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PREPARED REFERENCE MATERIALS ON MORAL EDUCATION AND CIRCULATED THEM TO SCHOOLS.

AMONG OTHER ACTIVITIES, THE DEPARTMENT ALSO ORGANISED AN EXHIBITION ON MORAL EDUCATION EVERY TWO YEARS.

"THIS YEAR'S EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD IN JULY AND THE THEME 'CARING AND SHARING'," HE SAID.

WILL BE

ON

MR BRIDGE URGED PARENTS TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO HELP THE MORAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CHILDREN.

TURNING TO SCHOOL GUIDANCE WORK, HE SAID THIS WAS AN AREA WHERE ENCOURAGING PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE.

"TO PROVIDE FOR THIS NEED, WE HAVE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL TEACHING POSTS IN ALL SECONDARY SCHOOLS SINCE 1982," HE SAID.

"

IN 1986 WE ISSUED A SUGGESTED GUIDE ON GUIDANCE WORK. ON WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE FEEDBACK FROM SCHOOLS.

WE CONDUCT TRAINING COURSES FOR GUIDANCE TEACHERS, AND IN OCTOBER 1986 WE STARTED A TWO-YEAR PILOT SCHEME то STRENGTHEN THE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO THEM."

AS TO THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW COURSES AND PROGRAMMES IN SCHOOLS, MR BRIDGE SAID, AS A GENERAL RULE, ANY INNOVATION WAS FIRST TESTED AS A PILOT PROJECT IN SELECTED SCHOOLS,

IT WAS THEN EVALUATED AND MODIFIED AS NECESSARY BEFORE BEING OFFERED FOR ADOPTION IN ALL SCHOOLS.

HE CITED THE PROGRAMME, "ON BEING A PARENT" AS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS, ALTHOUGH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAMME WAS REMARKABLE IN THAT IT ORIGINATED FROM THE ENTHUSIASM OF A FEW COMMITTED INDIVIDUALS RATHER THAN THROUGH THE NORMAL CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

THE PROGRAMME