EDUCATION
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Festival, sports and recreational activities as well as subject-based and interest-based activities.
Special Education
The main policy objective of special education is to integrate the disabled into the community through co-ordinated efforts by the government and non-governmental organisations. In April, policy responsibility for special education (hitherto under the Secretary for Health and Welfare) was transferred to the Secretary for Education and Manpower.
Early identification is an important preventive measure. Screening and assessment services identify special education needs among school-age children, so that appropriate follow-up and remedial treatment can be given before problems develop into handicaps. Under the combined screening programme, all Primary 1 students are given hearing and eyesight tests. Teachers are given checklists and guides to help them detect children with speech problems and learning difficulties. Children requiring further assessments are given audiological, speech, psychological or educational assessments at special education services centres. Some are referred for ophthalmic advice.
Children identified as having special education needs are integrated into ordinary schools as far as possible. They are placed in special schools only when their handicaps are such that they cannot benefit from the ordinary school programmes. At April 1995, there were 63 special schools, including a hospital school, for children who were blind, deaf, physically handicapped, mentally handicapped or maladjusted and socially deprived. Seventeen schools provided residential places. Besides teachers, the special schools were supported by specialists such as educational psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, school nurses and social workers.
Special education classes in ordinary schools cater for partially-sighted and partially-hearing children, and children with learning difficulties. Services for children integrated into ordinary classes include school-based or centre-based intensive remedial support in the basic subjects, behavioural guidance to children and advice to teachers on how to help children with special needs. A home-based teaching programme was in place to enable children who were home-bound for health reasons to continue their education. A school-based remedial support programme was also implemented to support secondary schools with a high intake of academically less- able students. These schools were given greater flexibility and additional manpower to operate remedial services for their students.
In general, special schools and special education classes follow the ordinary school curriculum, with adaptations or special syllabuses, where appropriate, to cater for the children's varied learning needs. Special schools give particular attention to daily living skills, and offer extra-curricular activities to enrich the practical life experiences of day and residential students. The CDC's Special Education Co-Ordinating Committee, with members from government departments and schools, advises on special education needs.
The operation of the Supportive Remedial Service for hearing-impaired primary school students who attend mainstream schools is very effective and a two-year pilot