XN000022-1980-04-07 — Page 4

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1980

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EXPANSION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

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SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR SLOW-LEARNERS WILL BE GREATLY EXPANDED WITH 22 360 MORE SPECIAL OR RESOURCE CLASS PLACES PLANNED FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE 15 380 SUCH PLACES, 14 560 IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND 820 IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. BY 1985-86, THE NUMBERS WILL BE 24 660 AND 13 080 RESPECTIVELY -- REPRESENTING A 145 PER CENT OVERALL INCREASE.

MR C.Y. WONG, SENIOR INSPECTOR OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTION SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THE DEVELOPMENT WAS IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF PROVIDING MORE SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES.

THESE CHILDREN WERE NOT MENTALLY RETARDED, HE EXPLAINED: +THEY ARE ONLY PROGRESSING IN THEIR LEARNING AT A SLOWER RATE THAN AN ORDINARY CHILD.+

IN ORDER TO DETECT LEARNING DISABILITIES OF A CHILD AT AN EARLY STAGE, PRIMARY ONE TO THREE PUPILS IN ALL SCHOOLS ARE GIVEN A GROUP TEST EVERY YEAR.

MR WONG SAID UNDER THE GROUP TESTING PROGRAMME A CHILD WOULD ONLY BE RECOMMENDED TO ATTEND A SPECIAL OR RESOURCE CLASS AFTER CAREFUL EVALUATION OF THE TEST OUTCOME, SCHOOL RECORDS, TEACHERS' VIEWS AND PARENTS' OPINIONS.

+ONCE WHAT IS BEST FOR A CHILD IS DECIDED UPON, STAFF OF OUR SECTION WILL APPROACH THE PARENTS TO EXPLAIN THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THEM AND TO SEEK THE IR APPROVAL, HE SAID.

+MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF THE PARENTS CONCERNED HAVE ACCEPTED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND, IN FACT, THE MAJORITY PREFER TO HAVE THE IR CHILDREN STAY ON IN SPECIAL CLASS EVEN AT SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL, HE SAID.

+THIS IS A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMME, HE ADDED.

MR WONG POINTED OUT THAT A SPECIAL CLASS IS FOR CHILDREN HAVING LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN ALL SUBJECTS WHILE A RESOURCE CLASS IS FOR THOSE WHOSE PERFORMANCE IN BASIC SUBJECTS ARE LAGGING BEHIND.

THE CURRICULUM FOR A SPECIAL CLASS FOLLOWS THAT OF AN ORDINARY CLASS AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE BUT WITH ADAPTION AND MODIFICATION, IN ADDITION, STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO IS 20,MUCH SMALLER THAN AN ORDINARY CLASS. FOR A RESOURCE CLASS THE RATIO IS 60 IN FOUR GROUPS WITH 15 PUPILS EACH.

MR WONG SAID, THESE ARRANGEMENTS ENABLE A TEACHER TO SPEND MORE TIME AND ATTENTION ON A SLOW-LEARNER WHO MAY PROGRESS AT HIS OWN PACE IN A SPECIAL OR RESOURCE CLASS.

/+THIS WILL