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SEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1984
+THIS WAS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GENERAL REVIEW OF THE SENIOR SECONDARY CURRICULUM AND EXAMINATION WHICH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS NOW CONDUCTING WITH THE HELP OF COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, SCHOOLS COUNCILS, THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND SHORTLY, THE HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AUTHORITY.+
MR HAYE SAID HE FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT IF THE AIM OF PROVIDING A GOOD AND RELEVANT EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN, WERE TO BE ACHIEVED, IT WAS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THERE WOULD BE SUITABLE PROVISION FOR THOSE CHILDREN FOR WHOM AN ACADEMIC EDUCATION IN FORMS IV AND V MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST ANSWER.
+THIS MUST BE ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE FOR CHILDREN TO PROGRESS FROM THE HUMBLEST OF ORIGINS TO THE PROUDEST POSITIONS IN SOCIETY BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY WHICH IS NOT ONLY GOOD BUT RELEVANT FOR THEM, HE SAID.
DEALING WITH DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP'S POINT THAT THERE WAS A SHORTFALL OF 6 000 SCHOOL PLACES FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, MR HAYE SAID THIS FIGURE DERIVED FROM THE PREVALENCE RATE USED IN THE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME PLAN WAS AN ESTIMATE OF DEMAND WHICH EXPERIENCE SHARED TO BE UNREALISTICALLY HIGH.
+ THE ACTUAL SITUATION, ASSESSED IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, IS THAT THE NUMBER OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WHO, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, ARE STILL AWAITING A SPECIAL SCHOOL PLACE, STANDS AT ONLY 630,+ HE SAID.
EVEN IF THIS FIGURE WERE DOUBLED FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, THE RESULTANT THEORETICAL DEMAND WOULD BE ABOUT 1 200. THE REHABILITATION DEVELOPMENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE HAD YET TO ENDORSE A REALISTIC FIGURE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, BUT MR HAYE GAVE ASSURANCE THAT IT WOULD NOT EXCEED 1 200.
THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, HE SAID, WAS STRIVING TO REMEDY THE SHORTFALL OF PLACES FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED THROUGH A SPECIAL SCHOOLS BUILDING PROGRAMME AND OTHER EMERGENCY MEASURES.
AN ADDITIONAL 242 PLACES FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR 1984/85 AND THREE NEW PURPOSE-BUILT SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WOULD COME ON STREAM IN THE 1986/87 ACADEMIC YEAR, PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL 330 PLACES IF BUILDINGS PROCEED TO SCHEDULE.
TO COVER THE SHORTAGE IN THE INTERIM PERIOD, MR HAYE SAID THAT AN EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME HAD BEEN INITIATED THIS YEAR PROVIDING A HOME-BASED RESOURCES TEACHING SERVICE FOR CHILDREN ON THE WAITING LIST FOR SPECIAL SCHOOL PLACES.
VISITING TEACHERS CONDUCT HOME-TEACHING AND TRAIN PARENTS TO CARRY ON TEACHING PROGRAMMES AT HOME. THE PUPILS GO TO SCHOOL AT LEAST ONE DAY A WEEK FOR SPECIALISED TRAINING AND SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES,
+ THE PROGRAMME