4.
in the near future. Nevertheless, it is essentially in the field of curriculum planning and its later implementation in the form of classroom teaching that we must direct our efforts in order to improve the competence of our pupils in the use of the Chinese language.
I should like to turn now to the subject of slow learners. Regarding the numbers of slow learners in each age group,
Miss Bennett quoted a figure of 13% as given in the Plowden Report. Pending the collection and analysis of specific statistical information for Hong Kong, a prevalence rate of 10% is being used as a basis for planning. I fully agree that we need more educational psychologists: at the moment, we have only 2 fully qualified officers against an establishment of 16, because of the scarcity of such trained personnel in Hong Kong. I hope the universities will help us to train more people locally. The recruitment and deployment of trained educational psychologists is most important for testing and retesting children.
But so that we can get on as quickly as possible with the job of caring for those children whose condition is not in dispute, I should also like to take the opportunity to appeal to secondary schools to come forward and help us provide more special classes for all kinds of handicapped children.
Miss Bennett referred specifically to the problem of backward children learning Chinese. Slowness in learning one's native language, like slowmess in learning generally, may be due to a multiplicity of interacting causes, such as disruption in education, psychological, emotional and environmental factors. The Education Department has, in consultation with the Professor of Education of the University of Hong Kong, standardised group ability and attainment tests as one of the means of assessment and for providing data for further research into the problem of pupils with learning difficulties. A preliminary study is now
being made to look into the educational, psychological and medical problems of primary school pupils with severe difficulties
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