7.
"These include a further increase of 10 per cent of primary and secondary schools adopting the Whole School Approach to Guidance in 1996-97; the development of a more diverse curriculum for students; the setting up of two more practical schools and five more skills opportunity schools by 1998-99 for students with serious learning difficulties; and the setting up of 22 additional school social worker units in 1996-97.
"The Social Welfare Department, on the other hand, plans to set up two more outreaching social work teams per year for three consecutive years from 1996-97 onwards, in addition to the existing 30 teams operated by 13 non-government organisations," he said.
"While the Education Department will seek to step up home-school co- operation, the Social Welfare Department will strengthen its family services by creating an additional 92 family caseworker posts in 1995-96, as well as setting up three new family services centres in 1995-96 and five new Family Life Education worker units in 1996-97.
"By providing guidance and counselling services, this should help strengthen family support to help youth development," he added.
Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Department has been providing community- based programmes as alternatives to institutional and custodial penalties for young offenders.
"One of these is a pilot Community Support Service Scheme which started in 1994. Two experimental projects have been introduced under this scheme to help. stimulate young people's interest in school or in work and to develop their social skills.
"This pilot scheme will be evaluated in October next year," Mr Chan said.
End