XN000022-1980-10-01 — Page 28

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1980

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CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS, SIR MURRAY SAID, HAD BEEN MADE WITH ESTABLISHING VARIOUS TYPES OF SCREENING AND VETTING, TO DETECT AND IDENTIFY HANDICAPS AMONG CHILDREN, WHICH NOW COVERED 90 PER CENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

+THE NEXT MAJOR STEP, HE SAID, WILL BE TO FORM THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF THE HANDICAPPED RECOMMENDED IN THE WHITE PAPER.+

SIR MURRAY HOPED THIS WOULD BE DONE IN THE COMING YEAR THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE DISABLED PERSON.

TO INTEGRATE THE HANDICAPPED INTO THE COMMUNITY, A SECTION HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO DEAL WITH VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR THEM.

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD SET UP A SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE TO HELP THE DISABLED FIND EMPLOYMENT IN COMMERCE AND

INDUSTRY, WHILE THE CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS SHOULD ALSO_NOW_MAKE IT EASIER TO EMPLOY MORE DISABLED PERSONS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.

SIR MURRAY SAID THERE WERE 26 000 PLACES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION THIS YEAR, AND IT WAS HOPED THERE WOULD BE 50 000 BY 1985/86 WHICH STILL REPRESENTED A SUBSTANTIAL SHORTFALL BELOW THE 73 000 *WHO IT IS CALCULATED MAY NEED SUCH PLACES BY THEN+.

ADDED.

+AND THIS TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF THE IMMIGRATION INFLUX,+ HE

BUT, SAID SIR MURRAY, PLACES COULD NOT BE PROVIDED UNTIL TEACHERS WITH THE NECESSARY TRAINING WERE AVAILABLE.

PROVISION OF DAY AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WOULD AMOUNT TO 1 740 PLACES NEXT YEAR AND 4 700 IN 1986 -- AGAINST A CALCULATED DEMAND OF 7 400 AND 8 200 RESPECTIVELY.

+AS THESE FIGURES SHOW, SAID SIR MURRAY, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, THOUGH AGAINST THE HISTORY OF THE URGENT PRESSURES UNDER WHICH HONG KONG HAS EVOLVED IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THESE SERVICES HAVE COME LATE IN THE QUEUE.*

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL AND REHABILITATION SERVICES WAS VERY DEPENDENT ON TRAINED SUPPORTING PERSONNEL, OF WHICH, SAID SIR MURRAY, WE ARE EXTREMELY SHORT.+

+A DETERMINED EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ESTABLISH COURSES TO PRODUCE THE PEOPLE REQUIRED WHETHER AT THE POLYTECHNIC, UNIVERSITIES OR DIRECTLY BY THE EDUCATION, MEDICAL AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENTS.+

HE SAID HE WAS GLAD TO HAVE A VERY FAVOURABLE REPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE ON THE PROGRESS MADE.

+BUT, HE SAID, THE FIELD IS WIDE AND IN MANY DISCIPLINES THE BUILD-UP OF THE CADRES REQUIRED IS LIKELY TO PROGRESS OVER AT LEAST THE DECADE RATHER THAN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.+

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