XN000022-1984-04-25 — Page 28

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1984

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+ THE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED, AND IF AN EVALUATION THIS MAY CONFIRMS ITS SUCCESS, THE SCOPE OF THE PROGRAMME WILL BE EXPANDED TO CATER FOR MANY MORE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AWAITING SCHOOL PLACES, MR HAYE SAID.

TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION HAD ALSO BEEN ADAPTED TO OPERATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS UNTIL NEW SCHOOLS COULD BE BUILT. THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED HAD BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL PERMISSION TO USE TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT PREMISES UNTIL IT BUILT A NEW SPECIAL SCHOOL, AND 13 OTHER SETS OF PREMISES HAD BEEN ADAPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP MEET THE PROBLEM.

+ IT IS WORTH ADDING THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN ANOTHER DOZEN SPECIAL SCHOOL PROJECTS IN THE PLANNING STAGE, THE DIRECTOR ADDED.

THERE HAD BEEN CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROVISION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN GENERAL, AND ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS HAD BEEN APPROVED TO PROVIDE A HIGHER TEACHER TO CLASS RATIO, THE PROVISION OF MORE GRADUATE TEACHERS AND REPLACEMENT STAFF, MORE PROMOTION POSTS. ADDITIONAL PARA-MEDICAL STAFF AND IMPROVED CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR THOSE ENGAGED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.

ON THE SUGGESTION BY DR IP THAT THE GOVERNMENT PRACTISED POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOUR OF THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION (ESF), MR HAYE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO SUCH DISCRIMINATION.

THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING SCHOOLS SYSTEM EXISTED BECAUSE THE COURSES FOLLOWED IN THE LOCAL +ANGLO-CHINESE+ SCHOOLS WERE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THE WIDER CHOICE OF SCHOOL PLACEMENT AS SUGGESTED BY DR IP. THE ABILITY OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN TO STUDY OVERSEAS WITH ALLOWANCES PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT RESULTED FROM THE IR PARENTS' CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT, AND NOT BECAUSE OF THEIR ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH, AS HAD BEEN SUGGESTED.

IN SUBVENTING ESF SCHOOLS, THE PRINCIPLE OF PARITY WAS STRICTLY ADHERED TO. THE GRANTS PAID TO THE ESF SCHOOLS ARE BASED ON THE NOTIONAL SUBSIDY PER PLACE PAID TO LOCAL AIDED SCHOOLS. THE HIGHER COST PER PLACE RESULTS FROM THE APPROVED FORMULA WHICH RECOGNISES THE GREATER MOBILITY AMONG THE STUDENT POPULATION FOR WHICH IT IS THE ESF'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CATER, AND THE INEVITABLE FLUCTUATIONS IN ENROLMENTS WHICH CAN OCCUR,+ MR HAYE SAID.

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