XN000022-1994-06-15 — Page 38

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1994

22

SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING CHILDREN EXPLAINED

SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN OF SCHOOL AGE IS PROVIDED IN SCHOOLS RUN BY THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION (ESF) WHICH RECEIVES SUBVENTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ERIC LI KA-CHEUNG, MR LEUNG SAID THERE WERE TWO SPECIAL UNITS EACH AT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LEVELS WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY OF 84 PLACES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

THE JOCKEY CLUB SARAH ROE SCHOOL OF THE ESF ALSO PROVIDES PLACES FOR 40 SEVERELY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED ENGLISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN. DETAILS ARE:

ENROLMENT

CAPACITY

MENTALLY HANDICAPPED

OTHER HANDICAPS

SPECIAL

SECONDARY

42

27

5

UNITS OF

(11 - 18)

ESF

SCHOOLS

PRIMARY

42

41

1

(5 - 10)

·

SARAH ROE

PRIMARY

40

29

0

SCHOOL

AND

SECONDARY

TOTAL

124

97

A

MR LEUNG SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS WAITING LIST OF 24 HANDICAPPED CHILDREN FOR PLACES IN THE ESF SCHOOLS.

"BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN NOW ATTENDING SPECIAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES, THE DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES AN ADDITIONAL DEMAND OF ANOTHER 26 PLACES IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

"TO COPE WITH THIS ADDITIONAL DEMAND, THE DEPARTMENT IS DISCUSSING WITH THE ESF REGARDING PLANS FOR EXPANSION, AND WILL ALSO BE EXPLORING WITH OTHER AGENCIES THE POSSIBILITY OF ALTERNATIVE OR ADDITIONAL PROVISION, MR LEUNG SAID.

"I

AS AT APRIL 1994, THE NUMBER OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AGED 15 AND BELOW IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 147.

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