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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1978
FIELD STUDIES CENTRE FOR STUDENTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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A FIELD STUDIES CENTRE DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS IN THE IR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IS BEING BUILT AT THE SAI KUNG OUTDOOR RECREATION CENTRE, MR. ARTHUR BROWN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (SPECIAL DUTIES) SAID TODAY.
IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS AT THE SEMINAR ON CLEAN AIR AND LICHENS SURVEY ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, MR. BROWN SAID THE CENTRE WOULD PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR PUPILS TO DO THE FIELD WORK THAT IS REQUIRED IN MODERN BIOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY.
+ IF EVERYTHING GOES AS PLANNED THIS FIELD STUDIES CENTRE WILL BE READY FOR USE BY SCHOOL GROUPS EARLY NEXT YEAR, HE ADDED.
+THE SURROUNDING OF THE CENTRE OFFERS EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIELD STUDIES, WITH A VARIETY OF HABITATS.
COMMENTING ON THE TERRITORY-WIDE +CLEAN AIR AND LICHENS+ SURVEY, MR. BROWN SAID IT WAS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO INVOLVE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, AND WOULD FULFIL A NUMBER OF AIMS ESSENTIAL FOR THE ORGANISATION AND CONDUCT OF ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.
+ IT WILL INTEREST CHILDREN IN THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT AND HELP THEM FIND OUT SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT WILL GIVE CHILDREN A POSITIVE INTEREST IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID.
MR. BROWN NOTED THAT THE SURVEY WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL AWARENESS AND GIVE STUDENTS FIRST HAND INFORMATION WHICH COULD BE FED INTO A CENTRAL POOL FOR PRACTICAL AND USEFUL PURPOSES.
MRS. LOUISE MOK, THE DEPUTY CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SEMINAR SAID IN HER OPENING REMARKS THAT THE SURVEY WOULD BE VERY POPULAR WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN.
IT WOULD ALSO LEAD TO AN INCREASING AWARENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SHE SAID.
+ IN HONG KONG, EDUCATIONAL INTEREST IN THE ENVIRONMENT, FROM BOTH INTRA-CURRICULAR AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR POINTS OF VIEW, THOUGH COMPARATIVELY NEW, HAS BEEN EXTREMELY KEEN AND HAS BEEN GATHERING MOMENTUM BOTH WITHIN THE SCHOOLS AND OUTSIDE DURING THE LAST DECADE, MRS. MOK ADDED.
SHE NOTED THAT OVER THE YEARS, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, WITH THE HELP OF THE TWO UNIVERSITIES, OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, COMMERCIAL CONCERNS AND VARIOUS VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, HAD MADE SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO LAUNCH A SERIES OF HONG KONG ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS.
+ I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE SURVEY WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT BY SCHOOL GROUPS WILL BE OF A PIONEERING NATURE, CHALLENGING AND UNPRECEDENTED, + SHE SAID.
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