XN000022-1981-12-05 — Page 3

SATURDAY, DECEGE 5, 15c1

MANY OF THE RETARDED CHILDREN WOULD EITHER RESIST, TRY TO RUN AWAY OR SIMPLY LOSE INTEREST AFTER MAKING ONE MOVE.

IT WAS THEN THAT THE CARROT+ - BUT NO +STICK+ - WOULD BE DANGLED BEFORE THE CHILD WHO WOULD THEN BE ALLOWED TO PLAY WITH IT MOMENTARILY BEFORE IT WAS TAKEN AWAY. THE CHILD WAS THEN MADE TO CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT STEP OF THE TASK.

+THE METHOD IS EFFECTIVE BUT IT REQUIRES CONCENTRATED AND PATIENT EFFORT FROM THE INSTRUCTOR, MISS PANG ADDED.

MRS WINNIFRED CHOW, A SENIOR EDUCATION INSPECTOR AND AN OBSERVER AT THE WORKSHOP, SAID THIS METHOD COULD BE USED TO TRAIN THE SEVERELY MENTALLY-RETARDED WHO NORMALLY WOULD NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. BUT SHE ADMITTED THAT IT COULD NOT TRAIN THEM TO THE EXTENT OF MAKING THEM LITERATE.

MRS CHOW SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH RUNS FIVE SCHOOLS FOR THE SEVERELY-HAND ICAPPED, PROVIDING A TOTAL OF 304 PLACES, SIMPLY COULD NOT FIND ENOUGH" QUALIFIED SPECIAL TEACHERS FOR THE SEVERELY MENTALLY-RETARDED.

+ONLY ONE THIRD OF OUR 53 TEACHERS HAVE RECEIVED TRAINING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION BECAUSE THESE SCHOOLS - FORMERLY CALLED CENTRES UNDER THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT - HAD COME UNDER THE ED'S CONTROL FOR ONLY ONE OR TWO YEARS.+

+THIS WORKSHOP, YOU MIGHT SAY, IS PART OF OUR CONTINUING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE OUR RESOURCES IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA OF NEED.+

+ADDITIONALLY, ANOTHER TWO SCHOOLS FOR SEVERELY MENTALLY- HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WILL COME INTO OPERATION UNDER THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT RESPECTIVELY IN 1982, + MRS CHOW ADDED.

GRADUATES OF THE EDY WORKSHOP WOULD BE EXPECTED TO INSTRUCT OTHER TEACHERS FOR SEVERELY MENTALLY-HANDICAPPED CHILDREN+ IN A PYRAMIDAL SPREADING OF THEIR NEWLY-ACQUIRED EXPERTISE,+ MRS CHOW SAID.

MISS MCBRIEN, WHO WAS PAID BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ONLY FOR HER EXPENSES, WILL STAY ON IN HONG KONG FOR ANOTHER WEEK AFTER THE WORKSHOP TO PARTICIPATE AS A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL IN THE FIFTH ASIAN CONFERENCE ON MENTAL RETARDATION TO BE HELD AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL FROM DECEMBER 6-11,

ASIDE FROM MISS PANG, OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE WORKSHOP ARE: MISS YUEN PUI-YEE, A LECTURER AT THE SIR ROBERT BLACK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - MISS ROSA CHING, HEADMISTRESS OF PINEHILL VILLAGE NO. 3 SCHOOL MISS LINDA WONG AND MRS AVA KWONG, BOTH INSPECTORS OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, AND MISS EDITH LEE, EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

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