SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1980
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SURVEY ON PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED STUDENTS
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THERE ARE 1 254 PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PUPILS STUDYING IN 482 ORDINARY PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS, ACCORDING TO A RECENT SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
THE SURVEY CARRIED OUT IN JUNE LAST YEAR WAS TO IDENTIFY PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PUPILS ATTENDING ORDINARY SCHOOLS AND TO OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR FUTURE PLANNING OF SERVICES TO THESE PUPILS.
LETTERS WERE SENT TO 1 291 SCHOOLS IN THE SURVEY. OF THESE,
1 244 SCHOOLS OR 96.4 PER CENT SUBMITTED RETURNS.
AMONG THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PUPILS, 672 ARE STUDYING IN ORDINARY PRIMARY SCHOOLS, AND 582 IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
+THE MAJOR TYPES OF HANDICAP THESE PUPILS ARE SUFFERING FROM ARE POST POLIO, CARDIAC DISEASE, DELICATE HEALTH, FEEBLE LOWER LIMBS AND MOTOR INCO-ORDINATION, + A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID.
AS FOR THE IR MODE OF TRANSPORT, OVER 50 PER CENT WALK TO SCHOOL, 30 PER CENT USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT, 6.6 PER CENT USE EITHER TAXI OR PRIVATE CAR, 4.8 PER CENT BY SCHOOL BUS, AND ONLY 11 PUPILS USE THE REHABUS SERVICE.
THE MAJORITY OF THE PUPILS STUDY IN SCHOOLS NEAR THEIR HOMES, AND THERE IS ONLY MINOR INTER-ZONAL MOVEMENT.
THERE ARE CASES IN WHICH PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PUPILS PREFER TAKING SCHOOL BUSES WITH THEIR SCHOOLMATES, SOME MILDLY HAND ICAPPED CHILDREN MAY PREFER TO WALK TO SCHOOL, AND OTHERS MAY NOT LIKE TO MAKE USE OF THE REHABUS SERVICE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+HENCE PROVISION OF SPECIAL TRANSPORT HAS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT NOT JUST THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE SCHOOL AUTHORITY OR VOLUNTARY BODIES CAN PROVIDE, THE SEVERITY OF THE HANDICAP AND THE PROXIMITY OF THE SCHOOLS TO THE PUPILS' HOMES, BUT ALSO TO THE PUPILS' PREFERENCE REGARDING THE CHOICE OF SPECIAL OR ORDINARY MEANS OF TRANSPORT, + HE SAID.
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