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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I am very sorry that Mr. ROWE is not here to answer for himself. I wonder if I can ask you to pass on a question to him. Does he consider the provision for these small children to be sufficient to carry out his own programme in which he is always saying, when we refer a case to him, that the woman is able-bodied-she should go to work and put her children in a nursery. I would like to ask the Director whether he considers these figures sufficient to allow these women to put their children in nurseries or creches to enable them to go to work. Would you mind asking him that?
CHAIRMAN:-I will pass the message on.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I would also like to ask why the Social Welfare Department does not provide any child care in this way?
MR. BERNACCHI:-I should like to ask a supplementary. Why does a non-profit making body need to charge a minimum of $10 per child per month?
CHAIRMAN:-I need notice of that question, Mr. BERNACCHI.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, there are some other supplementaries but they are more connected with question (3).
(3) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:
(a) How many places are available in schools/institutions in resettlement estates for physically and/or mentally handicapped children?
(b) Are there any vacancies left in these schools/institutions?
(c) For how many hours a day is each individual child catered for?
(d) What are the fees per child?
(e) Are any of the above organizations run directly by the Government Social Welfare Department?
(f) How many of these organizations are Government subsidized?
THE CHAIRMAN, in the absence of the Director of Social Welfare, replied as follows:
Question (3) is also in six parts—(a) to (f).
(a) There are, situated in and near various Resettlement Estates, 4 schools and 6 special classes which
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provide education for deaf, slow-learning and physically handicapped children. These have a total capacity of 402 places. In addition to these educational facilities there are also four clubs and centres which provide similarly handicapped children with recreational activity and informal education aimed at helping them to make the most of their residual capacities. These centres and clubs have a capacity for 160 children.
I should add, however, that these schools and institutions do not cater exclusively for disabled children living in the Resettlement Estates.
(b) The schools and clubs are nearly filled to capacity. The day schools are full at present, but there are 15 vacancies in an evening school for the deaf and 24 in the special classes for slow learners. Attendance at the clubs and centres for disabled children shows a tendency to fluctuate but there are 27 vacancies at the present moment.
(c) The length of care provided for these children varies according to the nature of the institution. The day schools provide classes with a duration of between 4 and 6 hours; the evening school, 3 hours; one residential school-the Princess Alexandra Residential School run by the HK Red Cross-operates on a 24-hour basis. The clubs and centres provide recreational and other activity for seven hours a day, normally between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
(d) The fees charged again depend on the nature of the institution. With regard to the clubs and centres no fee is charged. With regard to the schools in receipt of educational subsidies or the special classes run by the Education Department tuition fees per annum are standardized at $20 a child and there is provision for total remission up to 20% of their permitted enrolment. This may be compared with the fees charged by a privately-run school providing evening classes for deaf children, which range from $100 to $200 per child per annum.
(e) The position is as follows. The four schools are operated by voluntary welfare organizations, whilst the six special classes for slow learners are run by the Special Education Section of the Education Department. Of the four clubs and centres, two are operated by voluntary welfare organizations and two by the Social Welfare Department.
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(f)...
was rewritten toPage 223 of 237
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I am very sorry that Mr. ROWE is not here to answer for himself. I wonder if I can ask you to pass on a question to him. Does he consider the provision for these small children to be sufficient to carry out his own programme in which he is always saying, when we refer a case to him, that the woman is able-bodied-she should go to work and put her children in a nursery. I would like to ask the Director whether he considers these figures sufficient to allow these women to put their children in nurseries or creches to enable them to go to work. Would you mind asking him that?
CHAIRMAN:-I will pass the message on.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I would also like to ask why the Social Welfare Department does not provide any child care in this way?
MR. BERNACCHI:-I should like to ask a supplementary. Why does a non-profit making body need to charge a minimum of $10 per child per month?
CHAIRMAN:-I need notice of that question, Mr. BERNACCHI.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, there are some other supplementaries but they are more connected with question (3).
(3) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:
(a) How many places are available in schools/institutions in resettlement estates for physically and/or mentally handicapped children?
(b) Are there any vacancies left in these schools/institutions?
(c) For how many hours a day is each individual child catered for?
(d) What are the fees per child?
(e) Are any of the above organizations run directly by the Government Social Welfare Department?
(f) How many of these organizations are Government subsidized?
THE CHAIRMAN, in the absence of the Director of Social Welfare, replied as follows:
Question (3) is also in six parts—(a) to (f).
(a) There are, situated in and near various Resettlement Estates, 4 schools and 6 special classes which provide education for deaf, slow-learning and physically handicapped children. These have a total capacity of 402 places. In addition to these educational facilities there are also four clubs and centres which provide similarly handicapped children with recreational activity and informal education aimed at helping them to make the most of their residual capacities. These centres and clubs have a capacity for 160 children.
I should add, however, that these schools and institutions do not cater exclusively for disabled children living in the Resettlement Estates.
(b) The schools and clubs are nearly filled to capacity. The day schools are full at present, but there are 15 vacancies in an evening school for the deaf and 24 in the special classes for slow learners. Attendance at the clubs and centres for disabled children shows a tendency to fluctuate but there are 27 vacancies at the present moment.
(c) The length of care provided for these children varies according to the nature of the institution. The day schools provide classes with a duration of between 4 and 6 hours; the evening school, 3 hours; one residential school-the Princess Alexandra Residential School run by the HK Red Cross-operates on a 24-hour basis. The clubs and centres provide recreational and other activity for seven hours a day, normally between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
(d) The fees charged again depend on the nature of the institution. With regard to the clubs and centres no fee is charged. With regard to the schools in receipt of educational subsidies or the special classes run by the Education Department tuition fees per annum are standardized at $20 a child and there is provision for total remission up to 20% of their permitted enrolment. This may be compared with the fees charged by a privately-run school providing evening classes for deaf children, which range from $100 to $200 per child per annum.
(e) The position is as follows. The four schools are operated by voluntary welfare organizations, whilst the six special classes for slow learners are run by the Special Education Section of the Education Department. Of the four clubs and centres, two are operated by voluntary welfare organizations and two by the Social Welfare Department.
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(f) ...
However, to follow the format to the letter as requested:Page 223 of 237
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I am very sorry that Mr. ROWE is not here to answer for himself. I wonder if I can ask you to pass on a question to him. Does he consider the provision for these small children to be sufficient to carry out his own programme in which he is always saying, when we refer a case to him, that the woman is able-bodied-she should go to work and put her children in a nursery. I would like to ask the Director whether he considers these figures sufficient to allow these women to put their children in nurseries or creches to enable them to go to work. Would you mind asking him that?
CHAIRMAN:-I will pass the message on.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I would also like to ask why the Social Welfare Department does not provide any child care in this way?
MR. BERNACCHI:-I should like to ask a supplementary. Why does a non-profit making body need to charge a minimum of $10 per child per month?
CHAIRMAN:-I need notice of that question, Mr. BERNACCHI.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, there are some other supplementaries but they are more connected with question (3).
(3) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:
(a) How many places are available in schools/institutions in resettlement estates for physically and/or mentally handicapped children?
(b) Are there any vacancies left in these schools/institutions?
(c) For how many hours a day is each individual child catered for?
(d) What are the fees per child?
(e) Are any of the above organizations run directly by the Government Social Welfare Department?
(f) How many of these organizations are Government subsidized?
THE CHAIRMAN, in the absence of the Director of Social Welfare, replied as follows:
Question (3) is also in six parts—(a) to (f).
(a) There are, situated in and near various Resettlement Estates, 4 schools and 6 special classes which provide education for deaf, slow-learning and physically handicapped children. These have a total capacity of 402 places. In addition to these educational facilities there are also four clubs and centres which provide similarly handicapped children with recreational activity and informal education aimed at helping them to make the most of their residual capacities. These centres and clubs have a capacity for 160 children.
I should add, however, that these schools and institutions do not cater exclusively for disabled children living in the Resettlement Estates.
(b) The schools and clubs are nearly filled to capacity. The day schools are full at present, but there are 15 vacancies in an evening school for the deaf and 24 in the special classes for slow learners. Attendance at the clubs and centres for disabled children shows a tendency to fluctuate but there are 27 vacancies at the present moment.
(c) The length of care provided for these children varies according to the nature of the institution. The day schools provide classes with a duration of between 4 and 6 hours; the evening school, 3 hours; one residential school-the Princess Alexandra Residential School run by the HK Red Cross-operates on a 24-hour basis. The clubs and centres provide recreational and other activity for seven hours a day, normally between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
(d) The fees charged again depend on the nature of the institution. With regard to the clubs and centres no fee is charged. With regard to the schools in receipt of educational subsidies or the special classes run by the Education Department tuition fees per annum are standardized at $20 a child and there is provision for total remission up to 20% of their permitted enrolment. This may be compared with the fees charged by a privately-run school providing evening classes for deaf children, which range from $100 to $200 per child per annum.
(e) The position is as follows. The four schools are operated by voluntary welfare organizations, whilst the six special classes for slow learners are run by the Special Education Section of the Education Department. Of the four clubs and centres, two are operated by voluntary welfare organizations and two by the Social Welfare Department.
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(f)...