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SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1978
MUSHROOM CULTIVATION IN SCHOOL LABORATORIES
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MR. ARTHUR BROWN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), TODAY SAID THE PRODUCTION OF STRAW MUSHROOMS COULD
INCREASE IN THE WORLD'S SUPPLY OF PROTEIN.
OPENING AN EXHIBITION-WORKSHOP ON THE CULTIVATION OF MUSHROOMS IN SCHOOL LABORATORIES+ AT NORTHCOTE COLLEGE, MR. BROWN SAID THAT 40 PER CENT OF THE DRY WEIGHT OF STRAW MUSHROOMS IS PROTEIN.
+AS YOU KNOW THERE IS A LACK OF PROTEIN FOOD IN THE WORLD TODAY. PERHAPS THE PRODUCTION OF STRAW MUSHROOMS SHOULD EASE THE WORLD'S PROBLEM OF PROTEIN SUPPLY, HE SAID.
THE WORKSHOP WAS ATTENDED BY DR. P.G. MILES FROM THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO, DR. BOB CALLOW FROM THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, AND OTHER SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEACHERS AND LABORATORY TECHNICIANS. IT WAS ORGANISED BY THE SCIENCE SUBJECTS SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S ADVISORY INSPECTORATE AND THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION,
DR. S.T. CHANG, READER IN BIOLOGY AND DEAN OF SCIENCE FACULTY, CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, GAVE AN ILLUSTRATED TALK ON THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF MUSHROOMS AND THEIR CULTIVATION IN SCHOOLS. MRS. LOUISE MOK, DEPUTY CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS CHAIRED THE SEMINAR.
CALLING BIOLOGY A LIVING PRACTICAL SUBJECT+ WHICH REQUIRED BOTH BRAIN AND HAND WORKING TOGETHER, MR. BROWN DESCRIBED THE ROLE OF THE BIOLOGY TEACHER AS NOT ONLY MAKING THE SUBJECT INTERESTING BUT ALSO RELATING ITS STUDY TO OUR DAILY LIVES.
+WE APPRECIATE THAT TOPICS SUCH AS THE NITROGEN CYCLE, CARBON CYCLE, RECYCLING OF WASTES, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF FOOD SUPPLY HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THEORETICAL TREATMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS. IT IS GRATIFYING TO SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF FORMULATING A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO THESE TOPICS BY INTRODUCING THE CULTIVATION OF MUSHROOMS IN OUR SCHOOL LABORATORIES, HE SAID.
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MRS. MOK, IN HER ADDRESS, REFERRED TO THE CHANGE IN SCHOOLS AWAY FROM THE +CHALK AND TALK+ METHOD TO THE NEW EMPHASIS ON EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH. THE WORKSHOP WOULD PROVIDE US WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS AND MATERIALS IN CULTIVATING STRAW MUSHROOMS WHICH ARE LOCAL LIVING MATERIALS,+ SHE SAID.
THE WORKSHOP HAD AROUSED A LOT OF INTEREST AMONG TEACHERS AND THE PUBLIC, MRS. MOK ADDED. MORE THAN 220 TEACHERS AND LABORATORY TECHNICIANS HAD APPLIED FOR THIS COURSE, BUT THE LIMITED LABORATORY ACCOMMODATION HAD FORCED THE ORGANISERS TO ACCEPT ONLY ABOUT 50 PARTICIPANTS FOR THE WORKSHOP.
MRS. MOK MENTIONED THAT I RESPONSE TO PUBLIC ENQUIRIES, THE HONG KONG COMMITTEE FOR SCIENTIFIC CO-ORDINATION WOULD SOON ARRANGE A PUBLIC LECTURE THE CULTIVATION OF STRAW MUSHROOMS+ BY DR. S.T. CHANG AND HIS COLLEAGUES AT THE CITY HALL AS PART OF THE 'POPULAR SCIENCE' SERIES.
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