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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1978
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STANDARDS OF SAFETY IN GOVT AND AIDED SCHOOL LABORATORIES
ADEQUATE ****
THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON. KENNETH TOPLEY TODAY (WEDNESDAY) TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE GOVERNMENT WAS SATISFIED THAT STANDARDS OF SAFETY IN LABORATORIES IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS WERE ADEQUATE.
+THE REQUIRED SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS PROVIDED, THE TEACHING STAFF ARE FULLY QUALIFIED, ALL SCHOOLS ARE ISSUED WITH A BOOKLET ON SAFETY IN THE LABORATORY AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL ON SAFETY IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PUPILS,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.
+ IT IS TRUE THAT NEW SYLLABUSES CALL FOR MORE EMPHASIS ON PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTATION, HE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE REV. THE HON. JOYCE BENNETT.
HE SAID THAT IN STANDARD PLAN SCHOOLS THE PROVISION OF LABORATORIES WAS CONSIDERED SUFFICIENT TO COPE WITH THE DEMANDS OF THE NEW SYLLABUSES.
IN OLDER OR NON-STANDARD SCHOOL BUILDINGS SOME CONVERSION OF ACCOMMODATION TO GIVE EXTRA LABORATORY FACILITIES WAS OFTEN REQUIRED, HE POINTED OUT.
+THESE CONVERSIONS ARE BEING CARRIED OUT AS QUICKLY AS IS PRACTICABLE. IN THESE SCHOOLS WHERE CONVERSION IS STILL TO BE DONE CARE IS TAKEN TO LIMIT ANY PRACTICAL WORK DONE IN ORDINARY CLASSROOMS TO THAT WHICH DOES NOT HAVE POTENTIAL HAZARDS,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MISS BENNETT, HE SAID
A WORKING GROUP IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS ALREADY LOOKING INTO THE MATTER OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF LABORATORY TECHNICIANS ON THE STAFF ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS WHERE THE NEW CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT SYLLABUSES FOR INTEGRADED SCIENCE WERE BEING
IMPLEMENTED.
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