56
EDUCATION
in auditory training and speech therapy. It also runs an audiometric screening and a speech screening programme in government primary schools. During the year, these services were made available to more than 20,200 children. The section also runs in- service training courses for teachers of special schools and special classes. In addition, short courses on the education of handicapped children and seminars on speech therapy in the classroom are given to teachers in ordinary schools.
The special education section has a braille printing press operated by the Govern- ment Printer. This press produces primary Cantonese textbooks and supplementary readers in braille, which are supplied to schools for the blind under government subsidy at one-tenth the actual cost. As a result, schools for the blind can purchase braille books at almost the same price as standard books.
Secondary Education
There are five types of secondary schools: Anglo-Chinese grammar schools, Chinese middle schools, secondary technical schools, secondary modern schools and prevocational schools. The 239 Anglo-Chinese grammar day schools have an enrol- ment of 223,254 pupils. They offer a five-year course in the usual academic subjects leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (English) Examination. Instruc- tion is in English, with Chinese taught as a second language. Successful Certificate of Education candidates may enter sixth forms for two years to prepare for entrance to the University of Hong Kong or the Chinese University of Hong Kong. They may also study for the General Certificate of Education at both ordinary and advanced levels. In addition, there are 44,190 pupils attending tutorial or evening classes where instruction in secondary level subjects, mainly English language, is offered.-
The 96 Chinese middle day schools accommodated 57,321 pupils and offer a five-year course in the usual academic subjects leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (Chinese) Examination. Instruction is in Chinese, and English is taught as a second language. A number of Chinese middle schools also offer a one-year sixth form matriculation course to prepare students for entrance to the Chinese University of Hong Kong. For those who obtain satisfactory results in the Certificate of Education examinations, higher education is available at the colleges of education, the Technical Institute, the Polytechnic and other post-secondary colleges.
There are 16 secondary technical schools 15 of which offer a five-year course in English with Chinese taught as a second language. Nine of the schools are govern- ment, five are subsidised and two are private. Their total enrolment is 9,984. Like the Anglo-Chinese grammar schools, they prepare their pupils for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and suitable candidates can continue their studies in Form VI or at the Polytechnic. Five subsidised secondary modern schools with an enrolment of 3,730 offer a three-year secondary course with a practical bias. There are also 10 private and six subsidised secondary schools with a total enrol- ment of 5,263 which offer some form of technical or trade training not leading to the Certificate of Education Examination. Plans have been approved to provide 6,600 places in three-year courses in subsidised prevocational schools and six such schools are already in operation.