XN000022-1990-04-19 — Page 20

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1990

:

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SUCCESSFUL PILOT PROJECT TO GIVE BIRTH TO

REGULAR SCHOOLS DRAMA FESTIVAL

* * *

THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HOPES TO ESTABLISH A REGULAR SCHOOLS DRAMA FESTIVAL IN 1992.

THIS WAS SAID TONIGHT (THURSDAY) BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR JOHN WINFIELD,

EVENING OF THE SCHOOLS ENGLISH DRAMA PROJECT.

AT

THE GALA

SAID, WAS

TO AROUSE INTEREST IN LANGUAGE DRAMA AS AN

THE PROJECT, MR WINFIELD ENGLISH LEARNING AND то ENCOURAGE ENGLISH EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY.

HE SAID THAT 12 SCHOOLS TOOK PART IN THE PROJECT WHICH WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A DONATION OF $150,000 FROM THE HONG KONG LANGUAGE CAMPAIGN, A CONCERNED GROUP OF BUSINESSES WISHING TO PROMOTE AN IMPROVEMENT IN LANGUAGE STANDARDS, PARTICULARLY ENGLISH, TO ENSURE THAT THE TERRITORY MAINTAINS ITS POSITION AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTRE.

AND

HE SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NOW INTENDS то DEVELOP THE PROJECT BY ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS FURTHER ORGANISATION FUNDING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

BEGINNING THIS SEPTEMBER THE PROJECT WILL BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE 38 SCHOOLS, ABOUT TWO SCHOOLS FROM EACH OF 19 DISTRICTS.

"AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE TRAINING PROGRAMME IN SUCH FUNDAMENTALS AS STAGE PRODUCTION, SET DESIGN AND AUDIO-VISUAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT, MR WINFIELD SAID.

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THE ACTIVE ASSISTANCE OF GROUPS AND INSTITUTIONS ABLE TO OFFER EXPERTISE IN DRAMA WILL BE SOUGHT, HE ADDED.

MR WINFIELD EXPLAINED THAT DETAILS OF THE EXPANDED SECOND PHASE OF THE PROJECT ARE NOW BEING WORKED OUT AND, WITH THE MOMENTUM GENERATED IN 1990 AND 1991, IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH A REGULAR SCHOOLS DRAMA FESTIVAL THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WITH CHINESE AS WELL AS ENGLISH SECTIONS.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG LANGUAGE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, MR GEORGE CARDONA, IN HIS SPEECH SAID ALL 12 SCHOOLS WHICH TOOK PART WERE SELECTED BECAUSE THEY ITAD NO TRADITION OF PRODUCING ENGLISH PLAYS.

"SEVERAL HUNDRED STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN PART, STUDENTS WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT HAVE SPOKEN ENGLISH OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. WE HAVE ALL SEEN THE SPLENDID RESULTS TONIGHT," HE SAID.

MORE

"IF WE CAN BUILD ON THIS MODEST BEGINNING, AND ENCOURAGE STUDENTS то UNDERTAKE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM, THEN THE DRAMA PROJECT WILL HAVE MADE AN IMPORTANT START IN MEETING THE CHALLENGE THAT LIES AHEAD

THE CHALLENGE OF MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S OPENNESS TO THE WORLD THROUGH ITS ABILITY ΤΟ COMMUNICATE WELL IN ENGLISH, MR CARDONA ADDED.

די

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