SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 1979
AT THE SAME TIME QUESTIONARIES WERE ALSO SENT TO MORE THAN 100 PRINCIPALS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO SEEK THEIR VIEWS ON THE DESIRABILITY OF ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT FIELD STUDIES CENTRE. ABOUT 85 PER CENT FAVOURED THE IDEA.
FUNDS.
THE CENTRE WAS COMPLETED LAST FEBRUARY WITH GOVERNMENT
THE LOCATION FOR THE CENTRE WAS, IN MR. YAM'S WORDS, +EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE PRESENT SITE WHICH IS SPLENDIDLY SITUATED DUE TO ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A WIDE VARIETY OF HABITATS OF ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE.
MR. YAM SAID THE CENTRE WILL HAVE $165,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING MONOCULAR AND STEREO MICROSCOPES, WATER QUALITY CHECKERS, AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMPARATOR TO MEASURE TEMPERATURE AND LIGHT INTENSITY AT SPECIFIC SPOTS, AND MANY METEREOLOGICAL ITEMS.
THE TENTATIVE LENGTH OF EACH RESIDENTIAL COURSE FIRST WILL START IN SEPTEMBER IS FOUR TO FIVE DAYS. FORTY STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE PART IN EACH COURSE.
THE
+THE PROGRAMME WILL BE WELL BALANCED TO COMBINE FIELD AND LABORATORY WORK WITH RECREATIONAL FACILITIES,+ MR. YAM SAID.
+ THE NEW CENTRE WILL ALSO SERVE AS AN INFORMATION CENTRE ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, BIOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY.
+PART OF OUR WORK HERE IS TO PREPARE TEACHING MATERIALS AND GUIDES FOR TEACHERS. OUR REFERENCE LIBRARY WILL CONTAIN JOURNALS ON BIOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND GEOGRAPHY WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE, MR. YAM SAID.
TO ENSURE THAT THE CENTRE WILL OPERATE SMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY, THE GOVERNMENT IS SENDING MR. YAM TO BRITAIN IN MID-JULY TO VISIT AND ATTEND COURSES OFFERED TO TEACHERS BY FIELD CENTRES OF THE FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL.
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