XN000022-1983-10-05 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1983.

AT THE SAME TIME, HE SAID, A WORKING PARTY WAS REVIEWING PRE-SCHOOL CARE, TRAINING AND EDUCATION OF DISABLED CHILDREN, AND WOULD REPORT EARLY NEXT YEAR.

HE ALSO SAID THAT A NEW COMBINED SCREENING PROGRAMME FOR ALL PRIMARY TWO PUPILS TO DETECT CHILDREN WITH VISION, HEARING, SPEECH AND LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, WAS ALREADY ACHIEVING ALMOST 100 PER CENT COVERAGE.

+NEW INTENSIVE REMEDIAL SERVICES ARE BEING INTRODUCED IN ORDINARY SCHOOLS TO CATER FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES,+ SIR EDWARD SAID.

AS FOR THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY, HE SAID THAT 80 FLATS IN PRIVATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE ABOUT 470 PEOPLE IN SHA TIN HAD ALREADY BEEN PURCHASED, USING FUNDS FROM THE SPECIAL COIN SUSPENSE ACCOUNT.

ANOTHER 23 FLATS HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR PURCHASE IN THE URBAN AREA AND WOULD BE READY FOR OCCUPATION BY NEXT SPRING, HE SAID.

THERE WOULD ALSO BE 385 HOSTEL PLACES, 560 HOME PLACES AND 470 CARE AND ATTENTION PLACES FOR THE ELDERLY NEXT YEAR, SIR EDWARD SAID.

+MUCH OF THE HEADWAY MADE IN THIS FIELD HAS BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS OF THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR. TO COMPLEMENT THEIR EFFORTS, PLANS ARE NOW IN HAND FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO OPERATE SOME OF THESE SERVICES DIRECTLY, HE SAID.

ON VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, HE SAID THAT 750 MORE PLACES IN THREE NEW VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES FOR THE DISABLED WILL BE PROVIDED BY 1988; EXPANSION OF SHELTERED WORKSHOPS TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 550 PLACES A YEAR OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WAS ALSO PLANNED.

BROADCASTING TO BE REVIEWED

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF BROADCASTING WELL BEFORE EXPIRY OF THE PRESENT TELEVISION LICENCES IN 1988 AND THE SOUND BROADCASTING LICENCE IN 1989, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID THE REVIEW WOULD ASSESS LONG-TERM NEEDS FOR TELEVISION AND SOUND BROADCASTING, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES. AND WOULD RECOMMEND A POLICY FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF BROADCASTING IN HONG KONG.

+TELEVISION AND RADIO, APART FROM THEIR ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN PUBLIC INFORMATION AND IN EDUCATION, SIR EDWARD SAID.

+THERE IS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR INCREASING THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH TELEVISION CAN MAKE TO ALL FORMS OF EDUCATION, AND THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE MATTERS WHICH WILL BE INVESTIGATED IN THE REVIEW OF BROADCASTING, HE ADDED.

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