XN000022-1974-11-13 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1974.

MR. TOPLEY WAS CONSIDERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS' CENTRES BASED ON VISUAL EDUCATION AND TEACHING RESOURCE CENTRES. +WE HAVE ENOUGH SPARE PRIMARY ACCOMMODATION FOR THIS, HE ADDED.

THE INSPECTORATE, ABOVE ALL, HAS A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY, SO HAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE APPROPRIATE AND LESS ACADEMIC SYLLABUSES.

+THERE IS NO ONE PANACEA WHICH WILL ENSURE QUALITY. THE PROBLEM HAS TO BE ATTACKED FROM EVERY QUARTER WITH DETERMINATION AND VIGOUR. THIS IS PRECISELY WHAT WE ARE DOING, THE DIRECTOR STRESSED.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC MENTION OF EDUCATION FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN THE WHITE PAPER, MR. TOPLEY EMPHASISED THAT THE TARGETS SET FOR EDUCATION IN THE WHITE PAPER WERE ALSO ACCEPTED FOR CHILDREN NEEDING SPECIAL EDUCATION. BUT IT WOULD TAKE LONGER TO ACHIEVE.

+EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO ACCELERATE THE SECOND FIVE YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR AND TO DEVELOP IT TO INCLUDE AS MUCH EXPANSION IN THE SECONDARY SECTOR AS IS FEASIBLE.+

THE FIGURE OF 120,000 HANDICAPPED CHILDREN MENTIONED BY DR. FANG AND ACCEPTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS A NOTIONAL ONE.

THE DIRECTOR SAID IT WAS ARRIVED AT BY ASSUMING THAT TEN PER CENT OF THE SCHOOL AGE POPULATION HAVE SOME FORM OF HANDICAP THE PREPONDERANCE BEING SLOW LEARNERS. IN FACT THE MAJORITY OF THESE CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL ALREADY RECEIVING A FORM OF PRIMARY EDUCATION NOT REALLY APPROPRIATE TO THEIR PRESENT LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT. WHAT IS IDEALLY REQUIRED IS THE PROVISION OF SPECIAL CLASSES FOR ALL SLOW LEARNERS. THIS WILL TAKE TIME. IN THE MEANTIME I INTEND THAT THERE SHOULD BE FRESH ARRANGEMENTS IN THE ORDINARY PRIMARY SCHOOL CLASSES TO MODIFY THE SYLLABUS TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE PUPILS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES.+

DR. FANG HAS SAID THAT FOR THE 120,000 HANDICAPPED CHILDREN THERE ARE PLACES FOR LESS THAN 5,000.

IN FACT, MR. TOPLEY SAID, THERE ARE 8,500 PLACES WHEN SPECIAL CLASSES ARE COUNTED IN, WHICH THEY CERTAINLY SHOULD BE.+

STATING THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION IS A DIFFERENT AND DIFFICULT QUESTION, THE DIRECTOR EMPHASISED THAT EVEN WITH THE MOST GENEROUS POSSIBLE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO DISPOSE OF THIS PROBLEM COMPLETELY WITHIN A BRIEF PERIOD.

/+NEVERTHELESS

F