SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1979
AT PRESENT, SCREENING SERVICES ARE PROVIDED FOR PRIMARY ONE PUPILS IN ALL GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND THE MAJORITY OF AIDED SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, PARENTS WHO SUSPECT THEIR CHILDREN OF HAVING HEARING PROBLEMS COULD REFER THEM DIRECTLY TO THE SECTION OR THROUGH HEADS OF SCHOOLS, DOCTORS OR SOCIAL WORKERS.
OF THE 50 000 PUPILS FROM 325 SCHOOLS WHO BENEFITED FROM THE SERVICE IN THE 1977-78 FISCAL YEAR, ABOUT SEVEN PER CENT OR 3 500 WERE IDENTIFIED TO HAVE VARYING DEGREES OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT SCREENING TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY TRAINED PERSONNEL OF THE SECTION.
THE EXAMINATION INVOLVES A FIVE-MINUTE HEARING TEST IN A QUIET ROOM MAINLY TO FIND OUT THE PUPIL'S RESPONSE TO CERTAIN FREQUENCIES OF SOUND AT FIXED SCREENING INTENSITY WITHIN NORMAL SPEECH RANGE, HE EXPLAINED.
+PUPILS WHO FAIL THE TEST OR ARE ABSENT FROM SCHOOL ON THE DAY OF SCREENING WILL RECEIVE A FULL-SCALE ASSESSMENT AT ONE OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES CENTRES AFTER WHICH A VERBAL REPORT ON THE HEARING ABILITY WILL BE GIVEN TO THE PARENTS. A WRITTEN REPORT WILL ALSO BE SENT TO THE HEADS OF SCHOOLS CONCERNED SOON AFTERWARDS,+ HE SAID.
+FOR HEARING IMPAIRED CHILDREN, VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE MADE INCLUDING SPECIAL SEATING ARRANGEMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM, PROVISION OF HEARING AIDS FREE OF CHARGE. PERIPATETIC TEACHING SERVICE, AND PLACEMENT IN SPECIAL CLASSES OR SPECIAL SCHOOLS.
+AT THE SAME TIME, REGULAR SPEECH AND AUDITORY TRAINING WILL BE GIVEN TO ENHANCE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE HEARING IMPAIRED CHILD. THOSE IN NEED OF MEDICAL ATTENTION WILL ALSO BE REFERRED TO SPECIALISTS FOR TREATMENT,+ THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
NEW BUS ROUTES TO SERVE MTR COMMUTERS
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A NETWORK OF BUS FEEDER ROUTES TO PROVIDE INTERCHANGE SERVICES TO MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY COMMUTERS WILL BE INTRODUCED TO COINCIDE WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE THREE PHASES OF THE NEW RAILWAY SYSTEM BETWEEN OCTOBER AND NEXT FEBRUARY,
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THE BUS FEEDER ROUTES ARE PART OF AN ON-GOING PROGRAMME TO DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN HONG KONG.
+IN ADDITION TO THE NEW BUS FEEDER ROUTES,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +EXISTING BUS SERVICES SERVING MTR STATIONS WILL INCREASE THEIR PASSENGER CAPACITY TO COPE WITH THE DEMAND OF THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC USING THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY. +
THE ENTIRE SERVICE NETWORK WILL BE CAREFULLY MONITORED SO THAT ADJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE FROM TIME TO TIME TO MEET DEMAND, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
/+A LARGE.....