End
(c)
· 33 -
(b) & The Education Department does not have figures on the number of rehabilitated juvenile drug addicts returning to mainstream education and those who have subsequently dropped out, nor figures on such students being refused admission to schools. This is because personal information on the past history of students including criminal records, addiction to drugs, health condition etc, is not required to be made known to the school authority or the Education Department.
(d)
As explained in (a) above, our present policy is to re-integrate rehabilitated juvenile drug addicts into ordinary schools as early as possible. The arrangement is that while young drug addicts undergo treatment, they will continue to receive education in basic subjects. This will minimise the disruption to their school education. It will also facilitate their eventual return to the ordinary schools.
Starting from September 1995, the Education Department provides a block grant to drug treatment/rehabilitation centres for the delivery of educational programmes to young drug abusers up to 18 years old, plus resource teaching materials and education television programmes. Also the drug treatment/rehabilitation centres concerned may, in consultation with the Education Department, propose a suitable school placement plan for the young rehabilitees including whether they should be placed in schools with a more practical content such as practical schools or skills opportunity schools. Upon receipt of such a proposal, the Education Department will initiate follow-up placement arrangement.
Once back to school, the young rehabilitees have equal access as other students to a wide range of guidance, counselling. psychological and remedial support services provided by the schools and the Education Department, to assist them in overcoming their adaptation, learning difficulty and other re-integration problems. Where necessary, student guidance teachers/officers in primary schools and school social workers in secondary schools will conduct home visits. If serious family problems are identified, referrals for support from the family services units of the Social Welfare Department will be made.
On teacher training, the Hong Kong Institute of Education has included drug education in the curriculum of its teacher education programmes. The Education Department, in conjunction with the Narcotics Division of the Security Branch, regularly organises in-service training courses for primary and secondary school teachers to enhance their knowledge on drug abuse and skills in implementing drug education. Starting from 1995, it also jointly organises with the Community Drug Advisory Council drug education courses for teachers. To provide teachers with more information on drug education, a Drug Education Resource Centre will be set up in late March 1996.