XN000022-1980-05-03 — Page 2

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1980

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BOOST TO SCHOOL LIBRARY SERVICES

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LIBRARY GRANTS TO GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL BE DOUBLED IN THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR.

+THIS RECOGNISES THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES ARE BECOMING AN IMPORTANT AID IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG AND REFLECTS THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THIS ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.

MORE THAN $2 MILLION HAVE BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME. THE AMOUNT IS CALCULATED ON A PER CAPITA BASIS WHICH MEANS THAT THE GRANT FOR EACH STUDENT WILL GO UP FROM $5 TO $10.

FURTHERMORE, A SCHOOL LIBRARY SERVICE SCHEME WAS IMPLEMENTED LAST SEPTEMBER TO DEVELOP SCHOOL LIBRARIES INTO RESOURCE CENTRES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH A RECOMMENDATION IN THE WHITE PAPER ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.

UNDER THIS SCHEME, ONE ADDITIONAL POST WAS PROVIDED IN EACH GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOL WITH 18 OR MORE CLASSES, SO THAT THE SCHOOL COULD APPOINT A TEACHER-LIBRARIAN TO TAKE CHARGE OF ITS LIBRARY ON A FULL-TIME BASIS.

A TOTAL OF 90 SCHOOLS ARE NOW IN THE SCHEME AND THE NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE GRADUALLY TO 200, ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESMAN.

TEACHER-LIBRARIANS ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW THE BASIC SKILLS OF LIBRARY MANAGEMENT AND THE USE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.

FOR THIS PURPOSE, AN IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSE WAS JOINTLY ORGANISED LAST DECEMBER BY THE EXTRA-MURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE LIBRARY SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

SIMILAR COURSES AT BASIC AND ADVANCED LEVELS WILL BE ORGANISED IN THE FUTURE FOR NEWLY APPOINTED TEACHER-LIBRARIANS AS WELL AS THOSE ALREADY IN THE POST.

ONE FURTHER EFFORT TO PROMOTE ADEQUATE USE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES IN SCHOOLS IS AN EXHIBITION ON SCHOOL LIBRARY ACTIVITIES TO BE HELD ON MAY 17.

ITEMS ON DISPLAY AT THE EXHIBITION TO BE HELD AT MUNSANG COLLEGE IN DUMBARTON ROAD, WILL INCLUDE PROJECTS AND COURSE WORK INTRODUCING THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER-LIBRARIAN AND THE EFFECTIVE USE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES.

+TO START WITH, WE HOPE STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF EXISTING LIBRARY FACILITIES IN THEIR SCHOOLS.

*WE ALSO HOPE TO INCULCATE THE HABIT OF READING AND TO ENCOURAGE PUPIL TO USE PUBLIC LIBRARIES FOR SELF-EDUCATION, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

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