XN000022-1995-12-20 — Page 9

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It houses a theatre for 200 spectators, a library, a computer room, a language laboratory, a science laboratory, resource teaching rooms, training rooms, interview rooms and other ancillary facilities.

Being the first and only resource centre on academically gifted education, the centre is aimed at serving all the academically gifted children identified, in particular those in the pilot school-based programme, their parents and teachers.

Major services provided include -

* training courses and enrichment programmes for individuals or groups of

academically gifted children;

* training courses, workshops and seminars for teachers, parents of

academically gifted children and professionals on gifted education;

* counselling services for academically gifted children and their parents;

* research work on academically gifted education.

Learning and thinking skills activities will be conducted at the centre in 1995- 96. There will also be a series of teacher training workshops by overseas consultants in December 1995 and January 1996.

From 1996-97 onwards, the programmes conducted at the centre will gradually be extended to serve 1,300 students in 81 primary schools who are already identified to be academically gifled. In the long run, it will serve all the academically gifted children in Hong Kong, estimated to be around 20,000, representing two per cent of the total population.

Schools which are interested in making use of the facilities in the premises may contact the centre-in-charge.

An Education Department spokesman said that to maintain a smooth operation of the Fung Hon Chu Gifted Education Centre, a management committee comprising representatives from the Education Department, the Board of Trustees of the Fung Hon-chu Foundation Trust Fund, tertiary institutions, school personnel and parents will be set up.