14
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2.
ON SPECIAL EDUCATION, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY DISCLOSED THAT 3.700 MORE PLACES IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL CLASSES WOULD BE PROVIDED DURING 1977/78 TO BRING THE TOTAL UP TO 15,870 BY SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.
+ALTHOUGH THIS IS STILL SOME WAY FROM THE APPROVED TARGET OF 18,400 PLACES, SPECIAL EDUCATION IS A DIFFICULT FIELD, HE EXPLAINED.
HE NOTED THAT THE DRAFT ESTIMATES MADE PROVISION FOR REDUCTIONS IN SOME CLASS SIZES, FOR IMPROVING TEACHER-CLASS RATIOS TO RECOGNISE THE PROBLEMS OF TEACHING HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, FOR PROVIDING PROMOTION PROSPECTS FOR TEACHERS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN ORDINARY SCHOOLS AND FOR INTRODUCING ALLOWANCES FOR TEACHERS IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR QUALIFICATIONS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.
TURNING TO THE CONTINUING EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID THE DRAFT ESTIMATES SOUGHT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FORM I PLACES IN 1977/78 FROM THE PRESENT 63,300 TO 74,500.
FOR CHILDREN WISHING TO PROCEED BEYOND FORM III, THE DRAFT ESTIMATES PROVIDE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1,500 PLACES IN FORMS IV AND V, INCREASING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SUCH PLACES TO 39,500 BY SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.
AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE OF SOME 1,300 PLACES IN FORM VI, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER TO 11,200.
MR. HADDON-CAVE NOTED THAT TO AUGMENT THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS BUILDING PROGRAMME, BUILDING WORK ON 15 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL START DURING 1977/78 AND 32 NEW ONES WILL BE COMPLETED.
REFERRING TO TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID THE TOTAL ENROLMENT IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR WAS EXPECTED TO BE THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT 4,520 FULL-TIME STUDENTS, AN INCREASE OF 2,200 OVER LAST SEPTEMBER.
THIS INCLUDES A FOURTH TECHNICAL INSTITUTE AT CHEUNG SHA WAN, EXPECTED TO OPEN THIS SEPTEMBER WITH AN INITIAL INTAKE OF 720 FULL-TIME STUDENTS, IN ADDITION, WORK ON A FIFTH INSTITUTE AT KOWLOON TONG WILL BEGIN DURING 1977/78.
AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID THE GOVERNMENT AIMED TO ACHIEVE TARGETS OF 8,850 STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITIES AND 9,850 FULL-TIME STUDENTS (INCLUDING EVENING STUDENTS) AT THE POLYTECHNIC BY 1977/78.
/15