XN000022-1982-12-15 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1982

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK HELPS STUDENTS

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SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK HELPS STUDENTS RESOLVE THEIR ACADEMIC, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS SO THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM STUDIES AND EDUCATION.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR SELWYN ALLEYNE, AT THE SPEECH DAY OF THE HONG KONG CHINESE WOMEN'S CLUB HIDE ŤJO YEONG PRIMARY AND EVENING SCHOOL.

MR ALLEYNE SAID KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT FROM THE FAMILY AND THE SCHOOL ARE ESSENTIAL TO HELP YOUNG STUDENTS GROW AND DEVELOP NORMALLY AND HEALTHILY.

THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, HE EXPLAINED, IS TO ENHANCE BETTER UNDERSTANDING, CO-OPERATION AND COMMUNICATION AMONG THE STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHERS THROUGH SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMES.

+WHERE NECESSARY, COUNSELLING AND PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE ARE RENDERED TO NEEDY STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL PROBLEMS, HE SAID.

BUT HE STRESSED THAT THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER WOULD NOT FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS WHO WOULD BE +AMONGST THE FIRST TO DETECT A STUDENT'S PROBLEM AND TO REFER HIM FOR HELP.+

+THE IR CONCERN AND SUPPORT TO THE STUDENT WILL BE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THAT SHOWN BY THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER OR THE STUDENT'S OWN FAMILY, + HE SAID.

THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK SERVICE WAS INTRODUCED IN 1974 AND IT NOW COVERS 467 SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

+IDEALLY, EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, BUT OWING TO LIMITED MANPOWER RESOURCES, A SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER NOW HAS TO SERVE FOUR SCHOOLS OR A STUDENT POPULATION OF ROUGHLY 4 000,+ HE SAID.

PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE SERVED BY STUDENT GUIDANCE OFFICERS WHO ARE TEACHERS WITH SPECIAL TRAINING IN COUNSELLING TO HELP STUDENTS IN WAYS SIMILAR TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, MR ALLEYNE SAID.

THERE ARE AT PRESENT 137 STUDENT GUIDANCE OFFICERS UNDER THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, SERVING ABOUT 452 000 STUDENTS IN 856 PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE ENTERING SECONDARY SCHOOL, MR ALLEYNE TOLD THEM TO SEE THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER IF THEY ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTIES.

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