SUNDAY, MAY 25, 1980
CHILDREN WITH HEARING PROBLEMS INTEGRATED INTO NORMAL SCHOOLS
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ABOUT 340 CHILDREN WITH HEARING PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTES FOR NORMAL STUDENTS UNDER AN INTEGRATION PROGRAMME ACTIVELY PROMOTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
INTEGRATION IS A MODERN TREND IN SPECIAL EDUCATION WHICH GIVES OPPORTUNITIES TO THE HANDICAPPED TO PLAY AND LEARN WITH OTHER CHILDREN.
THIS HAS A DOUBLE BENEFIT
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THE HANDICAPPED CAN ADAPT TO
A NORMAL ENVIRONMENT WHILE PEOPLE IN CONTACT WITH THEN CAN COME TO UNDERSTAND AND BECOME MORE AWARE OF THEIR NEEDS.
IN PURSUIT OF THIS AIM. THE DEPARTMENT HAS, AMONG ITS SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR THE HANDICAPPED, A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED TEACHERS OF THE DEAF TO HELP SMOOTH OUT ANY PROBLEM THE HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENTS MAY COME UP WITH IN ORDINARY SCHOOLS.
OF THOSE HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENTS BEING CARED FOR AT PRESENT, 207 ARE IN 144 PRIMARY SCHOOLS, 56 IN 51 SECONDARY SCHOOLS, FOUR IN THREE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND THE OTHERS IN PREVOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES AND OTHER INSTITUTES.
ONE OF THE SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE SCHEME IS LUI MING CHOI LUTHERAN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN CHEUNG SHAN ESTATE, TSUEN WAN .
IT IS LOOKING AFTER TWO SPECIAL PUPILS, A GIRL CHOW WAI-LAN AND A BOY CHEUNG KIN-CHEONG, BOTH IN FORM II.
ALTHOUGH WAI-LAN HAS A PROFOUND HEARING LOSS. SHE IS THE BEST STUDENT IN ENGLISH IN HER CLASS. HER PROFICIENCY IN THIS SECOND LANGUAGE IS REMARKABLE AND CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO HER TEACHER'S CONSTANT ENCOURAGEMENT AND HER OWN EFFORT.
KIN-CHEONG, WHO SUFFERS FROM MODERATE HEARING LOSS, IS PARTICULARLY WELL-ACCEPTED BY HIS CLASSMATES IN AND OUTSIDE CLASS. HLS OUTGOING PERSONALITY HELPS HIM ENJOY EVEN MORE HIS SCHOOL LIFE IN THE INTEGRATED EDUCATION SETTING.
SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF THE PAIR IN THE SCHOOL WAS PARTLY THE RESULT OF CO-OPERATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT BY THEIR PARENTS. THE SCHOOL TOO HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE BY MAKING THINGS EASIER FOR THEM.
MR SIMON LEE, MEAD OF THE SCHOOL, HAS BEEN MOST ENTHUSIASTIC IN HELPING HIS TWO NANDI CAPPED STUDENTS.
+TEACHING THEM REQUIRES 'GREATER INITIATIVE AND PATIENCE BUT IN SPITE OF THE DIFFICULTIES, I FIND IT A CHALLENGING AND WORTHWHILE TASK, HE SAID.
HE CONSULTS THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ON SPECIAL EDUCATION METHODS AND DISCUSSES THE PROBLEMS OF THE STUDENTS WITH HIS TEACHING STAFF,
THE TEACHERS