XN000022-1995-06-14 — Page 16

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Motion debate on special education

Following is the speech by the acting Secretary for Education and Manpower, Miss Jacqueline Willis, in the motion debate on special education in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I am grateful to Members who have spoken this evening about special education services. Let me reassure Members that Government is just as concerned as Members that special education services should continue to develop and improve. This commitment is clearly re-affirmed in the White Paper on Rehabilitation tabled at the Legislative Council on 7 June 1995. But first of all, I would like to spend a few minutes on the premise of this debate, which provides the broad parameters within which Members have put forward their views and suggestions. The premise is that the Government has paid insufficient attention to special education services for more than thirty years. Is this true? What are the facts? A brief review will be helpful.

In the sixties, special education services comprised no more than two special schools, one each for the mentally and physically handicapped and a handful of special classes in primary schools for slow-learning children - special education was at its infancy.

During the seventies, special education services began to develop. By 1976, the number of special schools grew to 35, that of special and resource classes to 287 and these catered not only slow-learning children but also children with other disabilities such as maladjustment. The first Special Education Services Centre under the Education Department was established in Kowloon to provide assessments, diagnosis and intervention programmes for children with special education needs.

The publication of the White Paper "Integrating the Disabled into the Community A United Effort" in 1977 set out for the first time Government's comprehensive objectives in services for the disabled.

In line with other service areas, this White Paper announced an ambitious programme of expansion in the next decade of special education services - a rapid increase in special school places and a much enhanced standard of provision of support services in special and resource classes in ordinary schools.