XN000022-1980-12-30 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1980

BY THE END OF THE YEAR, 30 CHILD CARE CENTRES WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS SCHEME AND TOGETHER THEY WILL PROVIDE UP TO 180 PLACES FOR MILDLY DISABLED CHILDREN, HE SAID.

MR ALLEYNE EXPLAINED THAT THE INTEGRATED PROGRAMME WAS TO PROVIDE DISABLED PRE-SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL SKILLS IN A NORMAL ENVIRONMENT MIXING WITH OTHER CHILDREN.

+FOR THE NORMAL CHILD, OUR SUBVENTED CHILD CARE CENTRES PROVIDE A RICH AND STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT FOR HEALTHY GROWTH, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR THE MILDLY DISABLED CHILD,✦ HE SAID.

ALTHOUGH THE CHILD MAY INITIALLY BE SLOWER IN LEARNING THAN HIS ABLE-BODIED PEERS, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT HE SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES, MR ALLEYNE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN THE INTEGRATED PROGRAMME, IT WAS THE POLICY TO PROVIDE SUBVENTION FOR A MORE GENEROUS STAFF-CHILDREN RATIO, WHICH WAS ONE CHILD CARE WORKER FOR EVERY SIX DISABLED CHILDREN.

THE DEPARTMENT ALSO RUNS SPECIAL TRAINING COURSES FOR CHILD CARE WORKERS WHO TAKE CARE OF DISABLED CHILDREN, HE ADDED.

GROWING INTEREST IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

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THERE IS A REAL GROWING AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION AMONG EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS AN INTENSIFYING INTEREST AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THE SUBJECT.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR J.N. HENDERSON TODAY WHEN HE OPENED AN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY SEMINAR FOR INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYEES AT THE GRANTHAM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM AND THE URGE TO TAKE ACTION BY ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED WERE THE MOTIVATING FORCES WHICH LED TO THE SEMINAR,

+WITHOUT THIS GROWING AWARENESS LITTLE CAN BE ACHIEVED SIMPLY BY REGULATION AND INSPECTIONS. THERE MUST BE THE WILL ON THE PART OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED TO TRY AND IMPROVE THE SITUATION WHERE IT MATTERS MOST ON THE FACTORY FLOOR AND ON THE WORK-SITE. HE ADDED.

MR HENDERSON POINTED OUT THAT THE ONE-DAY SEMINAR WAS ORGANISED BY A TRIPARTITE BODY COMPOSED OF REPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS LABOUR DEPARTMENT OFFICERS, IN THE NAME OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION, WHICH WAS SET UP IN 1978 UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD.

FOLLOWING THE