XN000022-1976-08-09 — Page 5

MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1976

IN HIS TALK, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WORKING PARTY ON FIELD STUDIES CENTRES. PROFESSOR THROWER, SAID THE REASON FOR RUNNING THE FIVE-DAY CAMP WAS TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE PREMISES WERE SUITABLE, AND WHETHER THERE WERE ANY SPECIAL PROBLEMS TO RUNNING FIELD STUDIES COURSES.

+WE DECIDED TO RUN A PROTOTYPE COURSE LASTING FIVE DAYS FOR 30 STUDENTS. THE PROGRAMME HAD TO BE ORGANISED AT SHORT NOTICE AND AS ECONOMICALLY AS POSSIBLE. THE NEED FOR ECONOMY IS REFLECTED IN THE FACT THAT TEMPORARY TABLES ARE BEING USED IN PLACE OF PERMANENT BENCHES, MOST FITTINGS ARE MAKE-SHIFT, AND MUCH OF THE EQUIPMENT IS ON LOAN. HOWEVER, THE PROGRAMME OF STUDIES WILL BE GOOD, + THE PROFESSOR SAID.

THE COURSE, HE POINTED OUT, WAS A MODEL FOR COURSES THAT WOULD BE RUN IF THE FIELD STUDIES CENTRE BECAME A REALITY.

HE TOLD THE PARTICIPANTS: +WE SHALL VALUE YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM DURING AND AT THE END OF THE COURSE. DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF THE FITTINGS IN THE LABORATORY AND THINGS OF THAT KIND. YOUR ADVICE ON THE PROGRAMME AND THE ACTUAL EXERCISES WILL BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL TO US. +

PROFESSOR THROWER SAID THE ORGANISERS OF THIS FIRST FIELD STUDIES CAMP BELIEVED THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FIELD STUDIES CENTRE WOULD BRING ABOUT AN IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE TEACHING OF BIOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY IN HONG KONG.

BUT HE EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS FOR THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WISHED TO HAVE A FIELD STUDIES CENTRE ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG.

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