PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

A holistic approach with emphasis on development of pupils' ognitive as well as affective domains is adopted in designing the curriculum. The pupils may come from diverse family background, some with negative school and social experiences. A balanced curriculum aims to enhance their psychological, emotional and social development besides the cognitive aspects. Hence, personal and social education forms an integral part of the curriculum.

 

4.1 Aims of Personal and Social Development Programme

(1)	To develop social skills in relating to others
(2)	To encourage positive attitudes and values
(3)	To enhance coping skills with stressful situations
(4)	To develop problem solving skills
(5)	To improve social competence
(6)	To help children to function independently
(7)	To understand the function of home, school and community
(8)	To understand customs, traditions and political systems

4.2 Contents of Personal and Social Development Programme

The contents to be covered aim at enhancing positive attitudes and skills in personal and social aspects. Main themes include basic ways to achieve harmony, happiness, independence and success in life. While they are not of equal priority and importance to pupils in the same class at the same time, a modular approach in curriculum design may be considered. Moreover, based on the developmental needs of children, training should increase gradually both in scope and depth in a spiral manner. Most important of all, it is through practice and generalisation that pupils consolidate what they have learned.

4.2.1

Communication Skills

This is basic to one's physical well being, self-image and acceptance by others. Good habits of personal health and hygiene should be fostered when pupils are still young. It includes training in self-care, physical fitness, diet and appropriate manners.

4.2.2 Personal health, Hygiene and Appearance

This is basic to one's physical well being, self-image and acceptance by others. Good habits of personal health and hygiene should be fostered when pupils are still young. It includes training in

self-care,

physical fitness, diet and appropriate manners.

4.2.3 Understanding Feelings and Emotions

It aims at helping pupils understand that all people have a broad range of positive and negative feelings. Negative feelings such as anger and frustration are normal and legitimate. They should learn to accept these feelings.

4.2.4 Ways to Manage

Negative Feelings and Emotions

Accepting that negative feelings and emotions are natural, pupils have to learn that these feelings should not be repressed or expressed aggressively. Help them develop socially acceptable means of handling emotions through skills such as relaxation, positive self-talk, think before act.

4.2.5 Enhancement of

self-esteem

Help pupils to own their strengths and limitations and develop a positive self-image. Various activities aiming at enhancing children's sense of security, belonging, uniqueness, success and self-actualisation help to improve pupils' self-image.

4.2.6

Peer Relationship

Sense of affiliation is one of the basic human psychological needs. Two domains of training are building up friendship and coping with peer pressures. Through activities, help pupils to distinguish behaviours that facilitate them to co-operate with others, give and accept compliment and emphasize daily life practice of the skills. Also help them acquire skills in resolving conflict, in asserting themselves and coping with bullying.

4.2.7

Problem Solving Skills

This includes the skills of identifying the problem, analysing the problem, collecting information, brainstorming for solutions, making decision after considering possible choices and reasoning their consequences, implementing the chosen strategy and evaluating the outcome. Related development in various cognitive skills such as convergent, divergent, lateral and creative thinking is also essential.

4.2.8

Study Skills

Academic success has both practical and psychological values to pupils. Study skills facilitate their learning. These skills include time management, memory strategies, notes taking, reading for meaning and examination skills.

4.2.9

Mental Health

To maintain mental health in a challenging society, stress management is indispensable. Stress management basically includes understanding sources of stress and developing ways to cope with anxiety. Moreover, sound mental health may be developed through good use of leisure. Knowledge in help-seeking and crisis management are also important.

4.2.10

Drug Education

Some pupils resort to drugs to escape from frustration or get recognition from peers. So they have to learn the adverse impact of drugs on their physical health, emotional balance and interpersonal relationships. Confronted with peer pressure to do it, they should know how to say "no" to drugs.

4.2.11

Family Life Education

This topic focuses on helping pupils to understand the physiological and psychological development in adolescence, as well as the ways to adjust to these changes. Positive attitudes and values towards sex and marriage, functions of family and relationship amongst family members should also be included.

4.2.12

School Leavers Programme

The pupils' behaviour and adjustment difficulties are transient in nature. The ultimate goal of education is to re-integrate them back to mainstream schools, families and community. An effective personal and social education programme should help pupils to develop sufficient social competence to adjust in society. A

team work approach involving social workers working with the family is often needed to facilitate the pupils' integration. Within the school, teachers and school social workers are encouraged to jointly run programmes to prepare pupils for school leaving. Such programmes should include : understanding of one's aptitude in future planning, knowledge of vocational resources, curriculum and demands of mainstream schools, techniques in attending job interviews or interviews by schools. Visits to technical education and vocational training institutes or ordinary schools are beneficial.

From the above content list of personal and social development programme, it is clear that the topics are inter-related and inter-active, so besides being presented in a spiral way according to the needs and developmental stages of pupils, the topics may be integrated through thematic approaches.

4.3 Implementation of the Personal and Social Development Programmes

4.3.1 Modes of Implementation

It is advisable to allocate at least two periods per week in the timetable to carry out personal and social development programmes during school hours. Moreover, the element of personal and social development should be incorporated into the following parts of the curriculum and activities (for cross-references, please see Table 1 and 2 in Chapter 3):

(1)	Humanities
(2)	Languages, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Physical Education and Aesthetics
(3)	Form periods and assemblies
(4)	Mass programmes
(5)	Group or individualised learning

4.3.2 Strategy

A

whole school approach is the most effective. Whether the programme delivery should be conducted as formal teaching, experiential learning or individualised learning depends on the nature of the programme and the characteristic of the pupils. A warm and caring school climate, with mutual respect between pupils and teachers facilitates the implementation of the programme.

4.3.3 Personnel

Since a whole school approach is recommended, all the staff in the school, whether they are teaching or non-teaching, professional or general grade staff should be involved to ensure consistency in demand and attitude towards pupils. To accomplish a satisfactory and reliable standard of service, relevant staff development should be extended to all staff.

4.3.4 Assessments

This is an indispensable part of any curriculum. The evaluation on the personal and social development of children mainly depends on continuous assessments. This is done for better understanding of their adjustment difficulties, the causes and development. Based on these information, intervention programmes and the curriculum on personal and social development can be designed and modified.

When assessing the adjustment difficulties of children, the following points should be attended to：

(1)	Problems encountered in the course of personal and social development : their intensity, duration, intervention used and its effectiveness.
(2)	Conditions under which such problems occur : may occur any time, under specific situations or in front of specific people.
(3)	Children's opinion on their own problems : children's view on own problem and social norms, their usual way of handling their problems and the effectiveness, as well as their intention to change.
(4)	Children's interpersonal relationships : their ways of dealing with family members, teachers and peers.
(5)	Children's self-concept : whether children's image of themselves matches with their real self.
(6)	Children's characteristics and abilities : including interests and potentials.