STAND. COM. REP. NO. 222________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1749
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Higher Education, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1749 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds for the
Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH) to
implement a geography education training and staff development
program for public school teachers based on national geographic
standards, beginning as a pilot project within the Kailua Complex
schools.

     Testimony in support of the bill was received from the
Hawaii Geographic Alliance, the Tropical Reforestation and
Ecosystems Education Center, and many concerned individuals.
Testimony in support of the intent of the bill was received from
the Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers
Association.

     Your Committees find that it is essential to ensure that
geography is well taught by teachers and well learned by students
as they prepare for effective citizenship and productive
employment in the 21st century.  Your Committees further find
that the standards identified in Geography for Life: National
Geography Standards 1994 will provide parents, teachers,
students, and curriculum writers with a road map for teaching
geography to all students in all schools.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 222________
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     Your Committees have amended the bill by:

     (1)  Having the Geography Department of the College of
          Social Sciences of the University of Hawaii, instead of
          RCUH, administer the pilot program; and 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of style and clarity.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Education and Higher Education that are attached to
this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 1749, as amended herein, and recommend that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
1749, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Education and
                                   Higher Education,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DAVID MORIHARA, Chair              KEN ITO, Chair