66
EDUCATION
existing fee remission scheme will continue to protect needy families from hardship arising from increased fees.
Special Education
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The provision of special education continued to expand in 1979. The number of special places for handicapped children increased from 19,160 to 22,722. There are 58 special schools three for the blind, four for the deaf, 20 for the physically disabled, 23 for the mentally handicapped and eight for the maladjusted and socially deprived. In addition, there are 133 special and resource classes in ordinary government schools 64 for the slow-learning, 32 for the partially-hearing, seven for the partially-sighted and 30 for the maladjusted; and 405 special and resource classes in ordinary aided schools 375 for the slow-learning and 30 for the maladjusted. As well, a total of 620 less severely physically- disabled children have been integrated into-ordinary classes in government and aided schools. The progress of these children is supervised by the Special Education Section of the Education Department.
A notable development in special education has been the implementation of a policy to provide education for all mentally-handicapped children, irrespective of the degree of their handicap. Before, they received less formal training in centres operated or subvented by the Social Welfare Department. Since April, 1979, the Director of Education has embarked on a phased programme of takeover of responsibility for the provision of education for these children. Fifteen centres previously subvented by the Social Welfare Department have thus been transferred to the Education Department.
In addition to an expansion of places in special education, the Codes of Aid for primary and secondary special schools and special classes were revised in April, 1979, to provide subsidies for approved paramedical and social work services in special schools. This is enabling a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach in rehabilitating disabled school children to be carried out effectively.
Preventive measures in the form of screening, assessment and remedial services have been adopted in order to identify disabilities in school-age children and to take remedial action as early as possible. In 1979, vision screening was expanded to cover approximately 80 per cent of the Primary 1 enrolment. Other screening services were also expanded with the targets of extending group testing to all Primary 1 and 3 pupils by 1980; audiometric screening to all Primary 1 pupils by 1981; and speech screening to all Primary 3 pupils by 1985. Remedial services including adjustment groups, teacher and parent counselling, speech and auditory training, and speech therapy were also expanded substantially. In the course of the year, 273,600 children were provided with such services at the Education Department's special education services centres.
The expansion of special education has necessitated an increased effort in the training of specialist staff. Overseas training is provided for the specialist staff of the Special Education Section and local in-service courses are run for teachers in special schools and classes. In addition, short courses, seminars and workshops are organised by the Special Education Section for teachers in ordinary schools and for trainee-teachers at the colleges of education.
Technical Institutes
The fifth technical institute, situated in Kowloon Tong, will be officially opened in May, 1980. However, classes started on a limited scale in October, 1979. The five institutes together provide courses at craft and technician levels on a full-time, block-release, part-