鄧太太僑居美國多年，前年跟朋友到珠江三角洲旅行，發現一個香港長者常去的屋苑的環境與她在美國住所的社區非常相似，寧靜優美，物價卻比美國低，而且她可以在那兒划艇、釣魚、或作其他水上活動，所以她決定在該屋苑購置一個位宅單位作為度假屋。
自從搬來這裏居住後，她除了每天清早繞湖緩步跑和周末去釣魚外，還參加一個長者早操班學習跳排舞和土風舞，這些多姿多采的生活使她樂不思『美』。
她交遊廣闊，而且留意到住在這裏的香港長者的日常活動，不外乎是搓麻雀、上茶樓、看電視、和上按摩院或逛街購物，甚少享受較為優質的生活情趣或富有意義的生活模式，不過，近來她發現幾位香港長者的日常活動與眾不同，以下是一些明顯的例子。
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譚先生夫婦在香港長大，後來因工作關係移居到馬來西亞去。
數年前，譚先生的父親病重逝世，留下母親獨自在香港。為了照顧年老的母親，他放棄在馬來西亞的高薪厚職，和太太返回香港與久別的母親重聚天倫。可惜好景不常，譚先生的母親於去年在兒子和媳婦的陪伴下與世長辭。鄧先生依照母親的遺願，將亡母的遺體送往家鄉下葬。為了接近亡母，為了嗅到中國的鄉土氣息，為了付出低亷費用來獲得舒適安寧的生活，譚先生決定與太太搬到內地定居。
譚先生夫婦與鄧太太在晨運時認識，以後時有來往。鄧太太對他們兩人的印象甚佳，「他們兩夫婦都是大學畢業，見識廣，學問高，而且非常愛好古典音樂，他們平日在家欣賞古典音樂、歌曲、和來自不同國家的電影，間中出外聽交響樂團演奏。在這屋苑我從未見過有如此高尚品味的香港長者。」
「……此外，他們又學習不同國家的語言。那次我探訪他們時，鄧太太還教導我一些外國語言的基本發音方法，包括法文、德文、意大利文、和西班牙文等，使我獲益良多。」
「他們不但重視優質的文靜活動，也注意到強健體魄的重要性，所以每天必定去晨運，風雨不竭。偶然亦會到附近的名勝遊覽，欣賞湖光山色，以舒暢身心。」
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楊先生是一位著名攝影家，他擅長拍攝黃山的風景，還出版了三本精美的影集。
當鄧太太第一次到楊先生家裏閒談時，她看見客廳的玻璃櫃中放滿了他的攝影獎杯、獎牌、和獎狀。在交談中，楊先生不時流露對攝影的熱愛。
楊先生表示，他不是為金錢而攝影，「事實上，攝影沒有帶給我任何利益，反而使我花大量金錢，例如，我曾經自資包飛機到黃山拍攝風景，購買昂貴的攝影器材，又自費到各地的攝影學會、政府機構、或有關組織開辦講座和經驗分享會。」然而，攝影卻帶給他無限樂趣與榮耀。
楊先生夫婦去年夏季才搬來這屋苑居住。本來他們不認識這屋苑，前年他們應親戚的邀請來這裏度假，才發覺這裏四周環境幽美，空氣新鮮，對他們的健康很有幫肋，而且這屋苑的配套齊全，交通方便，物價低亷，適宜他們退休之用，所以他們即時訂購一個千餘方呎的多層洋房單位。
楊先生夫婦非常關注身心健康，每天都到附近公園晨運，一來可以強身健體，二來可以與其他晨運人士聊天，擴闊社交圈子。此外，楊先生還經常穿梭內地、香港、和澳門三地，出席攝影講座和個人攝影作品展覽會，可謂『退而不休』。
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司徒先生、伍姑娘、Sandra、及Benjamin都有一個共同的興趣，就是每逢星期六下午四時半至六時半到會所参加『英語角』的聚會。這是一個由屋苑文化俱樂部為苑民舉辦的文化活動，參加者不須邀交任何費用，在整個聚會的過程中，參加者必須以英語交談，但話題不限，可以自由發表自已的見解。
這個小組的成員不足十人，大多數是來自香港的長者。他們參加這個活動的目的，主要是結交朋友和消磨時間，提高個人的英語水平還是其次。由於這是個興趣小組，不是正規課程，所以出席人數不甚穩定，不過，大部分的出席者都積極參與討論，氣氛熱烈。
據鄧太太所知，這四位長者除參加英語座談會外，各有不同的喜好和活動，盡量享受他們的黃金歲月。
司徒先生的外祖父是個著名的書法家，在耳濡目染的情況下，他養成天天練寫書法的習慣。鄧太太曾目睹他練寫書法，覺得他的書法很特別，「離遠看時，他的書法可算獨創一格，有些看似東歪西倒，有些如象形文字，但細看之下，卻可隱約見到不同名家的影子，真是不可思議。」
伍姑娘和Sandra醉心舞蹈，搬來這屋苑後便參加文化俱樂部舉辦的舞蹈組。該組成員大多是年長女性，全部都是舞蹈愛好者，經常一起練習跳舞，偶而結隊出外觀賞舞蹈表演或在會所內收看錄像光碟。伍姑娘和Sandra加入舞蹈組後，非常活躍，除參與集體操練和觀賞表演外，還協助安排有關活動，最近她們與幾位資深組員排演兩節中國民族舞，準備在中秋節聯歡晚會演出。
Benjamin在退休後遷居到現時內地的住所，由於可運用的時間與空間大增，他可以搜集大量不同的棄置或剩餘物料，製成各種手工藝品或飾物。他保留小部分的傑作在家中供自己欣賞，其餘都送給親友或鄰居，鄧太太亦是其中一個受惠人，他的精巧手工和獨特設計嬴得受惠人的稱許。
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本文節錄自馬文廣與周永新合著（2009） 從黃昏到天明 – 香港長者移內地的真實故事 之【優質生活】
2010年4月2日星期五
Views on the NAS and Related Issues
A Hong Kong delegation paid an official visit to this city recently. At a luncheon meeting, the chief delegate promoted the New Academic Structure (NAS) and the international recognition of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). She also encouraged more education exchanges between Hong Kong and this country to develop global outlook of Hong Kong students. Furthermore, she briefed the participants how all Hong Kong students would be better prepared for whole-person development and life-long learning to meet their individual needs and to contribute to the globalized world.
After the lunch, the participants were requested by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to provide the delegation with their feedback on the chief delegate’s briefing. The following is the author’s views on the NAS and related issues.
The New Academic Structure (NAS) of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) appear to be more in resonance with the education systems of the academically developed countries, so the said Diploma would be more readily recognized by the education institutions of these countries. In addition to academic structure, however, the determinants of recognition should include the quality of the programs, the competence of the teaching staffs, and the academic performance of the students.
Encouraging more education exchanges between Hong Kong and the academically developed countries could help expand the global outlook of Hong Kong students directly and enhance the international recognition of the HKDSE indirectly. As teaching staffs are the major knowledge transmitting agent, the effect of expanding Hong Kong students’ global outlook would be more prominent if the teaching staffs also join the education exchange programs. To secure a comprehensive effect, these programs should be offered to the students and teaching staffs of universities and secondary schools. Moreover, the infusion of Hong Kong born teaching staffs who have received education and who have work experience in academically developed countries could be a more cost-effective way to achieve the afore-mentioned goals.
Student-oriented education programs and interactive teaching methods among other approaches are proved to be effective in developing students’ life-long learning attitudes and skills, as well as meeting their individual needs. The involvement of parents of the students and provision of positive learning environments at school, home and community can strengthen the students’ motivation and persistence in learning. Furthermore, creative non-academic or practicality-oriented programs conducted by appropriately trained staffs complement to regular academic programs in strengthening students’ whole-person development.
As curricula are an important component in formal education, continual review can surely shed light on curriculum improvement. One of the effective approaches to evaluate education and training curricula is the “adequacy-importance analysis”. Detailed discussion of this approach can be found in the following references:
Ma, A. (2005). Importance and adequacy of practice competencies for care professionals in aging-related fields: Chinese administrator’s perspective. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 26(2), 17-34.
Ma, A. (2007). Evaluating the curricula for entry-level care professionals in aging-related fields. Educational Gerontology, 33(10), 881-896.
It is evident that continual assessment with various instruments (e.g., tests, mini projects, and individual or group presentations) is more effective in measuring student performance and reviewing teaching methods than conventional one-shot assessment.
After the lunch, the participants were requested by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to provide the delegation with their feedback on the chief delegate’s briefing. The following is the author’s views on the NAS and related issues.
______________________________
Encouraging more education exchanges between Hong Kong and the academically developed countries could help expand the global outlook of Hong Kong students directly and enhance the international recognition of the HKDSE indirectly. As teaching staffs are the major knowledge transmitting agent, the effect of expanding Hong Kong students’ global outlook would be more prominent if the teaching staffs also join the education exchange programs. To secure a comprehensive effect, these programs should be offered to the students and teaching staffs of universities and secondary schools. Moreover, the infusion of Hong Kong born teaching staffs who have received education and who have work experience in academically developed countries could be a more cost-effective way to achieve the afore-mentioned goals.
Student-oriented education programs and interactive teaching methods among other approaches are proved to be effective in developing students’ life-long learning attitudes and skills, as well as meeting their individual needs. The involvement of parents of the students and provision of positive learning environments at school, home and community can strengthen the students’ motivation and persistence in learning. Furthermore, creative non-academic or practicality-oriented programs conducted by appropriately trained staffs complement to regular academic programs in strengthening students’ whole-person development.
As curricula are an important component in formal education, continual review can surely shed light on curriculum improvement. One of the effective approaches to evaluate education and training curricula is the “adequacy-importance analysis”. Detailed discussion of this approach can be found in the following references:
Ma, A. (2005). Importance and adequacy of practice competencies for care professionals in aging-related fields: Chinese administrator’s perspective. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 26(2), 17-34.
Ma, A. (2007). Evaluating the curricula for entry-level care professionals in aging-related fields. Educational Gerontology, 33(10), 881-896.
It is evident that continual assessment with various instruments (e.g., tests, mini projects, and individual or group presentations) is more effective in measuring student performance and reviewing teaching methods than conventional one-shot assessment.
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