A29
places would be available for the deaf, the blind, the physically
disabled and, in the more distant future, the maladjusted. But there
would be significant shortages of places for the mentally retarded
and for slow-learning children. However, until the size of the
disabled population became clearer it would be prudent to plan
educational services on the basis of existing estimates of needs.
The objectives for the development of education and related services
were therefore as follows:
(i) all disabled children to be provided with
nine years of subsidised general education,
some to receive a longer period of such
education; thereafter, facilities to be
provided in accordance with the general
expansion of senior secondary education.
for those disabled children capable of
receiving it; vocational training for
disabled children to be provided beyond
normal school-leaving age, to help them
to achieve their potential;
(ii) special pre-school education and training
to be given to certain categories of disabled
children (mainly the more severely disabled);
(iii) disabled children to be encouraged to receive
education in ordinary schools: however, for those
children unable because of their disabilities to
benefit from education in the ordinary system,
special schools and classes, resource classes
and peripatetic services to be provided;
(iv) the existing division of responsibility for
providing services for the mentally retarded
between three government departments, on the