XN000022-1988-11-03 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1988

BUT, IF ONE COMPARED THE PRESENT SITUATION WITH THAT 25 YEARS AGO, ONE WOULD FIND THAT HONG KONG NOW HAD MUCH BETTER SCHOOL BUILDINGS, BETTER TEACHING FACILITIES, BETTER TRAINED TEACHERS, A MUCH RICHER CURRICULUM AND MUCH MORE INTERESTING EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS MUCH BETTER SUPPORTING SERVICES FOR BOTH OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, HE NOTED.

"SINCE IT [S THESE THINGS THAT MAKE UP THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION WE PROVIDE, IT IS OBVIOUSLY UNTRUE THAT THE LATTER HAS DETERIORATED, HE SAID.

FF

NOT DETERIORATED,

"WHILE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION HAS GENERALLY SPEAKING, AVERAGE STANDARDS APPEAR ΤΟ HAVE BECAUSE AS A RESULT OF THE INTRODUCTION OF UNIVERSAL AND EDUCATION, CHILDREN WHO ARE ACADEMICALLY WEAK AND WHO OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN IN SCHOOL ARE NOW IN SCHOOL."

SAID.

GONE DOWN COMPULSORY WOULD NOT

"IT IS THIS IMPACT WHICH HAS CAUSED THE UNEASINESS," MR LI

ON THE QUESTION OF HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION, MR LI SAID THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THING WAS FOR PEOPLE TO ACCEPT THE REALITIES OF UNIVERSAL AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION, ΤΟ RECOGNISE THAT NOT ALL CHILDREN ARE BORN EQUAL IN TERMS OF ABILITY AND INTEREST AND ΤΟ RE-INTERPRET OUR EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES INCLUDING THE OBJECTIVE OF ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AS IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

E

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION, IN A UNIVERSAL EDUCATION SITUATION, SHOULD BE DEFINED AS PERSONAL EXCELLENCE RATHER THAN NARROWLY AS ABSOLUTE EXCELLENCE."

+

"WHILE WE SHOULD APPLAUD SCHOOLS WHICH TURN OUT THE BEST SCHOLARS OF HONG KONG, WE SHOULD PAY EQUAL, PERHAPS EVEN GREATER, TRIBUTE TO THOSE SCHOOLS WHICH SUCCEED IN HELPING WEAKER CHILDREN то DEVELOP TO THEIR FULL INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL."

"THESE CHILDREN MAY NOT BECOME DOCTORS OR LAWYERS, BUT HELP, THEY CAN BECOME EQUALLY USEFUL CITIZENS, CONTRIBUTING IN OWN WAY TO A SUCCESSFUL HONG KONG OF THE FUTURE, MR LI SAID.

WITH

THEIR

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