ENG-1987 — Page 159

EDUCATION

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visited the centre for in-service training, viewed the display of teaching aids and obtained information on resource materials.

The Science Teaching Centre is used extensively for conducting refresher courses, seminars, workshops and teachers' meetings as well as for the display of equipment and resource materials for science teaching. More than 3 800 primary and secondary school teachers and laboratory technicians visited the centre. The science laboratory provided facilities for trying out science experiments in relation to curriculum development projects, making prototype apparatus and performing practical work during science workshops. A new science education resource room was established at the centre in March, and since then it has been open on a regular basis to provide a central reference point on science education and relevant advisory services to science teachers and laboratory technicians.

The Social Subjects Teaching Centre provides supporting services to teachers of Eco- nomics and Public Affairs, Economics, Geography, History and Social Studies at primary and secondary levels. Various teaching materials, projects, teaching kits and audio-visual equipment relating to these subjects are on display. Over 1 200 teachers visited the centre during the year. At the same time over 20 courses and workshops were conducted for more than 1 000 teachers.

The Cultural Crafts Centre co-ordinates the promotion of practical/technical subjects and provides training facilities for teachers of Art and Design, Art and Craft, and Home Economics. Some 70 in-service training programmes were attended by more than 2 500 teachers, and the exhibitions mounted in the centre attracted more than 30 000 visitors. In addition, resource materials including guidelines, handouts, recipes, slides, and video tapes were produced for the use of teachers. The centre also organised participation in overseas art exhibitions for local students.

The Civic Education Resource Centre and the Religious/Ethical/Moral Education Resource Centre continued to be popular among teachers. The resource materials at these centres have been regularly up-dated and special displays have been organised to introduce to teachers a variety of civic/moral education projects produced by secondary and primary schools.

A Sex Education Resource Centre continued to provide primary and secondary school teachers with central reference material on sex education and advisory services on its teaching. Over 3 000 visitors visited the centre and used the resources on display, such as video programmes, slides, library books, teaching kits, magazines and journals. Seminars on sex education were also organised to help strengthen sex education in secondary and primary schools.

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The Field Studies Centre in Sai Kung was well patronised by sixth-form students and secondary school teachers pursuing ecological and geographical studies. Thirty-one resi- dential ecology and geography courses were organised for a total of 1 400 sixth formers. Various in-service training courses and seminars were held for 520 biology and geography teachers to acquaint them with methods and techniques used in field studies. The centre was also used as a venue by various educational institutions for running activities related to field work and environmental education for students and student teachers.

Visual Education

The Visual Education Section makes available through its Audio Visual Resources Library a wide range of audio-visual aids on free loan to schools. The stock includes 16 mm films, video-cassette tapes, film-strips, slides and transparencies, filmloops, learning packages and cassette tapes. The section's Media Production Services Unit in Canton Road is open seven