**************************************************

The Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, today (Monday) underlined the importance of perseverance in learning as she shared her experience with a group of young school leavers.

Speaking at the 17th Graduation Ceremony of the Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College, she urged the Form 5 and Form 7 graduates to persevere in learning and seek always to improve themselves and keep pace with the times, regardless whether they were going to further their studies or get a job, since it was the best way to prepare for the challenges of the new era and the new millenium.

She pointed out that The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) had always attached great importance to the development of education. "This is clearly reflected in the Policy Address delivered early this month by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee-hwa, which takes 'Quality People, Quality Home' as the theme. In addition to a list of the initiatives implemented by the HKSARG to improve the quality of education, the Policy Address also describes in detail the education system in Hong Kong, which is now under comprehensive review in order to meet the ever-changing needs of society.

"As the world is striving to transform itself into a knowledge-based economy, we believe that the objective of education from now on should be the development of our next generation into life-long learners with an independent mind," she said.

Mrs Ip shared her own experience in learning with those present. Born and bred in Hong Kong, she completed secondary education in a local Anglo-Chinese school and tertiary education in the University of Hong Kong before furthering her studies in the UK and the US. The subjects she took included pure literature as well as practical subjects.

"What struck me in my learning process was that regardless of the place of study and the subjects selected, the important thing was to take learning seriously," she said.

Nowadays many people may think that the teachings of sages and wise men of the past is pedantic. However, Mrs Ip felt that some of their teachings and sayings bear great wisdom and relevance to the modern world and young people should read them with an open mind.

She cited as an example The Doctrine of the Mean, one of the Four Books. This book has expounded the five steps for learning, which are "to study extensively, inquire thoroughly, reflect carefully, discriminate wisely and practise earnestly". She said these five steps had enlightened her tremendously and have brought her life-long benefits.

She noted that in the field of learning, penetrating views were also held by Zhuxi, an educationist and thinker of the Song dynasty. In his opinion, the focus of education should be on "learning" and the students themselves. Perseverance was essential to learning.

"I fully support the precepts advocated by Zhuxi, which is 'to apply in practice', 'to keep improving oneself' and 'to seek perfection'. Indeed, 'applying in practice' is a key step in the process of learning, without which one would hardly stand any chance of personal enhancement," she said.

She reminded students that whilst always at the receiving end of new information and knowledge from different sources, they should maintain an independent mind rather than accept without question and parrot indiscriminately.

"Given its unique historical background and geographical position, Hong Kong is a place where the East meets the West, and its people have taken on the best of the two worlds. This is something which has no parallel in the other cities of the world," Mrs Ip went on.

She hoped the graduates would make good use of this advantage and do their utmost to make Hong Kong a better home and a better place.

End/Monday, October 25, 1999

NNNN