WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1978
AM CONFIDENT THAT THE PACKAGE THAT WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE WHITE PAPER WILL ALLOW FOR A RATE OF PROVISION OF PLACES ACCEPTABLE TO THE MAJORITY,
+ CAN ASSURE MEMBERS THAT THIS RATE WILL NOT BE LESS THAN 50 PER CENT - AND I SHOULD LIKE TO ASSURE DR. HUANG THAT THE CHANGES IN POPULATION PROJECTIONS AND ESTIMATED LEVELS OF DEMAND AND THE NEED FOR CAREFUL AND CONSTANT MONITORING ARE FULLY REALISED. SOME FLEXIBILITY WILL BE BUILT INTO OUR PLANS.+
COMMENTING ON A QUESTION PUT BY DR. HUANG ON THE PROVISION OF SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR DISABLED STUDENTS, MR, TOPLEY SA ID: +EDUCATION FOR HANDICAPPED PUPILS AT THIS LEVEL IS COVERED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON REHABILITATION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHICH PROVISION WILL BE MADE IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR SEVERELY HANDICAPPED PUPILS UNABLE TO ATTEND NORMAL SCHOOLS.
+THE LESS SEVERELY HANDICAPPED WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO ORDINARY SCHOOLS OR TECHNICAL INSTITUTES WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
*THERE ARE ALREADY SOME ORDINARY SCHOOLS PARTIALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE HANDICAPPED. DISCUSSIONS ARE NOW BEING HELD WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ON DESIGNING SOME NEW SCHOOLS AND ADAPTING SOME EXISTING SCHOOLS TO MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE TO THE MORE SEVERELY KANDICAPPED. THE KOWLOON TONG TECHNICAL INSTITUTE HAS ALREADY BEEN PLANNED TO BE MADE ACCESSIBLE TO THE HANDICAPPED.
SPEAKING BRIEFLY ON THE PROVISION OF FORM 6 EDUCATION, MR. TOPLEY SAID +PRESENT PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SECTOR OF OUR SYSTEM IS STILL AT A VERY EARLY STAGE.
SED.
+THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS SET UP A COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE REPORT PRODUCED BY MY WORKING COMMITTEE. AN INTERIM REPORT WILL BE MADE BY THE BOARD'S COMMITTEE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND ITS FINAL REPORT SHOULD BE READY NEXT SPRING.
+ IF SOME MEMBERS SHOULD THINK THAT WE ARE MOVING RATHER SLOWLY, I WOULD POINT OUT THAT THE PROBLEM OF FORM 6 EDUCATION HAS BEEN A MATTER OF INTENSE DEBATE AND DISCUSSION IN BRITAIN FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS AND THAT THE PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE FINALLY BEEN FORMULATED (BUT BY NO MEANS ARE FINDING GENERAL ACCEPTANCE) ARE LIKELY TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN 1986.
*THE COMMENTS MADE BY MEMBERS ON FORM 6 EDUCATION, IN PARTICULAR THOSE BY MISS KO AND MISS BENNETT, WILL BE PASSED ON TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR DELIBERATION. IN THE MEANTIME, HOWEVER, IT WOULD APPEAR REASONABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THE PRESENT RATE OF PROVISION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR - ONE-THIRD OF THOSE ENTERING FORM 4.
THE AD HOC GROUP
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