7
Tuesday, March 19, 1974
MORE SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES NEEDED
The Education Department is anxious that many more special
classes for children with learning difficulties are established in
ordinary schools.
Under the Second Five Year Programme for the Development of
Special Education "we should like to have a total of 10,000 places for
children with learning difficulties by 1977," Miss Elizabeth Rowe,
Senior Education Officer (Special Education), said today.
She was speaking at the opening of the special classes of the
Po Leung Kuk group of schools and the Display of Teaching Aids.
Miss Rowe emphasised that it was most important that children
who needed special education were integrated with ordinary children
whenever possible in order that they could get the fullest benefit
from the educational facilities available.
"The Department's Special Education Section", she said, "will be
very happy to help with the selection of pupils, training of teachers
and organisation of the curriculum."
She gave an assurance that the Department's fullest support
would be given to any voluntary organisation which would like to
establish special classes.
The aim of these special classes is to educate slow-learning
children to the best of their potential and to prevent a minor handicap
from becoming a major disability.
She stressed that if these children were not given the type of
education they need, they would become bored and frustrated, and feelings
of inadequacy and resentment would begin to grow.
"It is