WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1994
22
SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING CHILDREN EXPLAINED
SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN OF SCHOOL AGE IS PROVIDED IN SCHOOLS RUN BY THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION (ESF) WHICH RECEIVES SUBVENTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ERIC LI KA-CHEUNG, MR LEUNG SAID THERE WERE TWO SPECIAL UNITS EACH AT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LEVELS WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY OF 84 PLACES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
THE JOCKEY CLUB SARAH ROE SCHOOL OF THE ESF ALSO PROVIDES PLACES FOR 40 SEVERELY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED ENGLISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN. DETAILS ARE:
ENROLMENT
CAPACITY
MENTALLY HANDICAPPED
OTHER HANDICAPS
SPECIAL
SECONDARY
42
27
5
UNITS OF
(11 - 18)
ESF
SCHOOLS
PRIMARY
42
41
1
(5 - 10)
·
SARAH ROE
PRIMARY
40
29
0
SCHOOL
AND
SECONDARY
TOTAL
124
97
A
MR LEUNG SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS WAITING LIST OF 24 HANDICAPPED CHILDREN FOR PLACES IN THE ESF SCHOOLS.
"BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN NOW ATTENDING SPECIAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES, THE DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES AN ADDITIONAL DEMAND OF ANOTHER 26 PLACES IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
"TO COPE WITH THIS ADDITIONAL DEMAND, THE DEPARTMENT IS DISCUSSING WITH THE ESF REGARDING PLANS FOR EXPANSION, AND WILL ALSO BE EXPLORING WITH OTHER AGENCIES THE POSSIBILITY OF ALTERNATIVE OR ADDITIONAL PROVISION, MR LEUNG SAID.
"I
AS AT APRIL 1994, THE NUMBER OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AGED 15 AND BELOW IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 147.
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