XN000022-1983-04-13 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1983

EDUCATION FACILITIES EXPANDING

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A PLAN FOR A FURTHER STAGE OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME WAS BEING EXAMINED AND, IF APPROVED WOULD ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO PHASE OUT ALL THE LESS SATISFACTORY BOUGHT PLACES, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON KENNETH TOPLEY, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

MEANWHILE, WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE REMAINING 39 SCHOOLS IN THE PRESENT SECONDARY SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME, BOUGHT PLACES IN LESS SATISFACTORY SCHOOLS WOULD BE CONSIDERABLY REDUCED,

MR TOPLEY SAID IN RESPONSE TO REMARKS BY REV THE HON JOYCE BENNETT ON THE SUBJECT.

ON SPECIAL EDUCATION, MR TOPLEY REPORTED THAT THERE WERE SUFFICIENT SCHOOL PLACES FOR ALL BLIND AND DEAF CHILDREN.

+BY 1984-85 OVER 92 PER CENT OF THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF MALADJUSTED CHILDREN WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A SPECIAL SCHOOL PLACE; AND BY 1987/88 ALL PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A PLACE, HE DISCLOSED.

THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT SHORTFALL, HE SAID, WAS IN PLACES FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED.

ALTHOUGH THE 1982 REHABILITATION PROGRAMME PLAN REVIEW GAVE A SHORTFALL IN PROVISION OF 6 292, THE PLANNED PROVISION WOULD RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL 5 620 PLACES FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS BY 1990, MR TOPLEY SAID.

ON DELAYS TO CAPITAL BUILDING PROJECTS, HE POINTED OUT THAT SPONSORS PLANNING NEW SCHOOL PROJECTS WERE ASSISTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO ENABLE THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR PROJECTS WITH ALL POSSIBLE SPEED+,

AS FOR PARTICULAR PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED, HE MENTIONED THE RECENT RESISTANCE TO CLEARANCE BY SQUATTERS IN KWUN TONG WHICH AROSE FROM THE NEED TO EXTEND A SECONDARY SCHOOL, ON WHICH WORK HAD BEEN DELAYED FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS.

THE HONG KONG SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF HAD ALSO BEEN DELAYED BECAUSE OF SQUATTERS ON PRIVATE LAND WHERE THE SCHOOL WAS TO BE REPROVISIONED, HE POINTED OUT,

OF THE 24 SPECIAL SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECTS IN THE CURRENT PROGRAMME TWO HAD BEEN COMPLETED, 14 WERE PROCEEDING ON SCHEDULE AND ONLY EIGHT HAD BEEN DELAYED, MR TOPLEY SAID. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OFFICERS WERE WORKING CLOSE WITH THE SPONSORING BODIES TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS, HE SAID.

MR TOPLEY EXPRESSED DISAGREEMENT WITH THE HON WONG LAM'S CONTENTION THAT THE PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS WAS A WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY.

+WHERFAS THE GOVERNMENT IS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS AND SEEING THAT THEY ARE MET, IT NEEDS, ON OCCASIO.., A MEANS FOR DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

+FOR INSTANCE,

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