EDUCATION
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To improve the quality of primary education, 11 government primary schools, in areas where provision of places is in excess of demand, have been converted to whole-day operation. A pilot scheme introducing integrated teaching is operating in six government, government-aided and private schools. An experiment in which study rooms were opened in the evening for pupils in the Chai Wan area started in September 1973. It is hoped to extend the scheme to other areas.
Special Education
With the implementation of the second five-year development programme for special education in Hong Kong, the Education Department is continuing to increase the number of places for handicapped children in either special schools or special classes in ordinary schools. The number of special places for handicapped children has increased during the year 1973-4 from 4,400 to more than 6,000. The department is also expanding preventive measures by providing, through the special education section, more diagnostic and remedial services. The programme of overseas training for the nucleus of specialist staff of the special education section, local in-service courses for teachers in special schools and classes, and courses on the needs of handicapped children for teachers at colleges of education have all been expanded.
There are 36 special schools for blind, deaf, physically handicapped, slow learning and malajusted children. In addition, there are 70 special classes for slow learning children, 16 special classes for partially hearing children and three special classes for partially sighted children in 43 ordinary government primary schools. There are also 62 special classes for slow learning children in 17 ordinary aided primary schools. More than 480 less severely physically handicapped children have been placed in ordinary classes in government primary schools and government subsidised primary schools. These children are supervised regularly by members of the special education section.
The section provides diagnostic services which include audiological testing, psychological testing, speech testing and educational assessment, as well as remedial services in auditory training and speech therapy. It also runs an audiometric screening, a speech screening and a vision screening programme in government primary schools. During the year, these services were made available to more than 22,000 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 Chinese textbooks and supplementary readers in braille, which are supplied to schools for the blind under government subsidy at one-tenth of the actual cost. As a result schools for the blind can purchase 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
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