TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1978
CALL FOR CHANGE IN ATTITUDE TOWARDS HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
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THE PROBLEMS FACED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN EXPANDING SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR SLOW LEARNERS AND MENTALLY HAND ICAPPED CHILDREN STEM MAINLY FROM THE GENERAL LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, LOVE AND SYMPATHY FOR THESE CHILDREN, MR. P.S. SUN, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (SERVICES), SAID TODAY.
HE WAS SPEAK ING AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS.
+THE TIME TO MOUNT SOME SORT OF CAMPAIGN WITH A VIEW TO CHANGING THE ATTITUDE OF THE COMMUNITY HAS NOW COME, MR. SUN SAID.
HE CALLED ON THE ASSOCIATION TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF 1979, BEING THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CHILD, TO LAUNCH A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC TO ACCEPT HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WHO CAN BE TRAINED TO BECOME CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
MR. SUN OUTLINED THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WHEN TRYING TO MEET THE TARGET PLANNED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR SLOW LEARNERS AND MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN.
IN THE NEXT DECADE, 33 ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS FOR MILDLY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WOULD HAVE TO BE OPENED IN ORDER TO MEET THE TARGET, ALONG WITH 23 ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS FOR MODERATELY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, AND 10 ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS FOR SEVERELY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN.
+IN ADDITION, WE SHALL HAVE TO OPERATE FOR SLOW LEARNING CHILDREN 347 ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CLASSES IN ORDINARY PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND 180 ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CLASSES IN ORDINARY SECONDARY SCHOOLS,+ ACCORDING TO MR. SUN.
HE SAID DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT, ONLY 11 SPECIAL FORM 1 CLASSES FOR SLOW LEARNING CHILDREN WERE OPENED THIS ACADEMIC YEAR, AS COMPARED WITH THE PLANNED PROVISION OF 20 CLASSES. THE TARGET FOR THE 1979-80 ACADEMIC YEAR IS 33 ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CLASSES FOR SLOW LEARNING CHILDREN AT SECONDARY LEVEL.
MR. SUN SAID THE MAIN DIFFICULTY IS THAT MANY SCHOOLS HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH SLOW LEARNING CHILDREN, THEY ARE AFRAID THAT THEY CANNOT HANDLE THEM AND TEACH THEM.
THE DEPARTMENT ALSO FACED DIFFICULTIES WHEN TRYING TO OPERATE ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CLASSES FOR SLOW LEARNING CHILDREN
IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS WITH EMPTY CLASSROOMS. THIS WAS BECAUSE THOSE SCHOOLS WITH SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF SLOW LEARNING CHILDREN HAVE ALREADY STARTED SPECIAL CLASSES, WHILE SOME SMALL SCHOOLS WHICH WERE WILLING TO OPEN SPECIAL CLASSES DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF CHILDREN TO JUSTIFY THE OPENING OF SPECIAL CLASSES, AND GROUP ING THEM TOGETHER WOULD POSE TRANSPORT AND OTHER PROBLEMS.
/COMMENTING
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