XN000022-1988-05-24 — Page 18

TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1988

17

HIGH STANDARD OF SPECIAL EDUCATION FACILITIES

SPECIAL DEVELOPED IN MANY

HONG KONG IS PROUD ΤΟ SAY THAT ITS STANDARD OF EDUCATION FACILITIES IS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF MOST COUNTRIES AND IT IS TAKING THE LEAD AMONG ASIAN COUNTRIES ASPECTS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR Y.T. LI, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

POKFULAM HONG

'SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE EXTENSION OF TRAINING CENTRE, MR LI SAID THERE WERE NOW 70 SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN KONG. BUT IN THE EARLY 1960'S ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS PROVIDED EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

CHARITABLE

FOUR

AMONG THE SPECIAL SCHOOLS, TWO OF THEM ARE FOR THE BLIND, FOR THE DEAF, EIGHT FOR THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, 36 FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, EIGHT FOR THE MALADUSTED, ONE FOR CHILDREN LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND 11 HOSPITAL SCHOOLS,

WITH

OF

THEIR

"THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAVE ALSO BUILT UP A NETWORK SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, FOR PARENTS AND FOR THEIR SCHOOLS," MR LI SAID.

COMMENTING ON THESE ACHIEVEMENTS, MR LI SAID THEY HAD BEEN MADE POSSIBLE ONLY THROUGH THE UNFAILING SUPPORT OF THE SPONSORING BODIES, DONORS, TEACHERS AND STAFF CONCERNED.

CITING THE HILDESHEIM MISSION AS AN EXAMPLE, MR LI MISSION HAD PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION OVER THE YEARS.

SAID THE SPECIAL

"THE EBENEZER SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND WAS FOUNDED BY THE MISSION IN 1897 AND THE POKFULAM TRAINING CENTRE, WHICH IS A SISTER SCHOOL TO EBENEZER, IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND BOARDING CARE TO CHILDREN WHO ARE BOTH BLIND AND MENTALLY HANDICAPPED,' MR LI SAID.

"THE CENTRE WAS FIRST SUBVENTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN 1978. WITH THE COMPLETION OF THIS NEW WING, THERE WILL BE IMPROVEMENTS BOTH IN THE CENTRE'S CAPACITY AND FACILITIES, HE ADDED.

"

A TOTAL OF $4 MILLION HAD BEEN SPENT ON THE PROJECT, MR LI SAID, ADDING THAT ADDITIONAL ROOMS HAD BEEN DESIGNED ΤΟ ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF THE CENTRE'S DIVERSIFIED PROGRAMMES, ESPECIALLY IN THE TRAINING OF ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, PRACTICAL SKILLS, SPEECH, MUSIC, ART AND CRAFT AND HOME ECONOMICS.

/18