2004 News Releases

- Top speakers to share their experiences at leading US school

Hong Kong– The Manulife Centre for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities will hold a free open seminar on Saturday, April 3, 2004. The seminar will focus on some advanced instructional strategies that help Cantonese-speaking children who have difficulty in literacy development to learn how to read and write.

“Many local students with learning difficulties are struggling in their reading and writing processes,” said Dr. Alice Cheng Lai, Person-in-charge of the Manulife Centre at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. “Cumulative failure experiences will slowly hamper their motivation to learn.

“Many of these students also tend to manifest avoidance behaviour towards their schoolwork and other areas of learning. In order to help them triumph over their problems and build up confidence, teachers and parents must be equipped with knowledge and effective strategies in the teaching and learning of literacy.”

Dr. Lai will also share her learning experience from a field trip to the Philadelphia Benchmark School in the United States. Some advanced teaching practices such as the “Word Detectives Word Identification Program” will also be introduced and their implications for local classroom teaching practices will be examined.

Conducted in Cantonese, the seminar will be held on Saturday, April 3, 2004 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Lecture Theatre N002, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Interested parties please contact the Manulife Centre for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities at 2766 6313 or email to hsphil@inet.polyu.edu.hk for further details and registration. All seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

About Manulife Charitable Foundation
The Manulife Charitable Foundation is a non-profit organization set up by Manulife (International) Limited in 1998 to support and promote educational, health and charitable activities for the betterment of public welfare in Hong Kong. It has sponsored the Manulife Centre for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities since 1999 with a mandate to assist children with specific learning difficulties, and their parents and teachers, by studying how to identify children in need of assistance and help them develop to their full potential.

About Manulife (International) Limited
Manulife (International) Limited is a member of the Manulife Financial group of companies. Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 15 countries and territories worldwide. Through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners, Manulife Financial offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services. Funds under management by Manulife Financial were Cdn$156.7 billion (approximately HK$941.2 billion) as at December 31, 2003.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘0945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

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For more information, please contact:
Helena Lee / Jeanie Ho
Manulife (International) Limited
Tel: 2202 1050 / 2510 3191
Fax: 2234 6875
Email: helena_lee@manulife.com
jeanie_ho@manulife.com