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EDUCATION
1979-80 school year. These arrangements included small-group discussions between teacher representatives and senior officers of the Education Department; seminars for heads of aided primary schools; closer and more regular contact between area officers of the Education Department and heads and teachers of aided schools; and formal procedures for management-staff consultations in aided schools.
Special Education
The provision of special education continued to expand in 1981 in line with the objectives of the White Paper on Rehabilitation published in October, 1977. The number of special places for handicapped children increased from 26 017 to 28 813. Presently, there are 69 special schools - three for the blind, four for the deaf, 20 for the physically-handicapped (including 12 hospital schools), 33 for the mentally-handicapped, eight for the maladjusted and socially-deprived and one for the slow-learning.
In addition, there are 146 special and resource classes in ordinary government schools 66 for the slow-learning, 36 for the partially-hearing, eight for the partially-sighted and 36 for the maladjusted; there are also 542 special and resource classes in ordinary aided schools - 509 for the slow-learning and 33 for the maladjusted. These special and resource classes (and a school for slow-learning children) are for the less severely handicapped and include both primary and junior secondary levels (Form 3). In addition, 1 254 less severely physically-handicapped children have been integrated into ordinary classes in government and aided schools.
A notable development in special education has been the implementation of a policy to provide an education for all mentally-handicapped children, irrespective of the degree of their disability. In the past, they received less formal training in centres operated or subvented by the Social Welfare Department.
Since April 1979, however, the Director of Education has carried out a phased takeover of responsibility to provide education for these children. In 1981, two centres previously subvented by the Social Welfare Department and the Medical and Health Department were transferred to the Education Department.
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 allow remedial action to be taken as early as possible. In the course of the year 212 661 children were screened, assessed, and provided with remedial services by the Special Education Section of the Education Department. Of these, 192 041 primary school children underwent the group testing and screening programmes which included vision, audiometric and speech screen- ing. Assessment and remedial services including adjustment groups, teacher and parent counselling, speech and auditory training, and speech therapy were also expanded substan- tially. Altogether, 20 625 children have benefitted from further attention and remedial services at the Education Department's special education 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. During 1981, seven in-service training courses were run for teachers of handicapped children. They included courses for teachers of the blind and partially-sighted, the deaf and partially-hearing, the physically-handicapped, the slow-learning, the mentally- handicapped, the maladjusted and socially-deprived, and teachers who assist in speech therapy work. A total of 239 teachers enrolled in the various courses during the year. Since 1961, the running of these courses has been the responsibility of the Special Education