XN000022-1996-10-04 — Page 26

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The Committee, in a two-day hearing ended on Thursday (October 3, Geneva time) has examined Hong Kong's initial report submitted under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In reply to a question on human rights education, Mr Wingfield said topics on this issue had been incorporated into the school curriculum for students at both the secondary and primary level in Hong Kong.

He said topics relating to human rights were carried in such humanities subjects as social studies and economics and public affairs.

Also on education, a Committee member has expressed interest in how teachers could prepare themselves and the students for the changeover of sovereignty in 1997.

Mr Wingfield said to prepare teachers for the changes, the Education Department had been working with teacher education institutions and educational bodies in promoting the Basic Law in schools and the study of contemporary China in subjects like history, Chinese history and geography.

"At the same time, the department also organises education programmes for serving teachers to promote their knowledge of China through the teaching of relevant themes and topics in the primary and secondary curriculum," he said.

As to a question on education for disabled children and their access to school facilities, Mr Wingfield said the policy was for children with a disability to study in ordinary schools as far as possible and that with the enactment of the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, the right of people with a disability to have proper access to building was protected.

Some members have expressed concern over the problem of child abuse in Hong Kong.

Responding, Mr Wingfield said the Public Education Sub-committee on Child Abuse, comprising social work and education professionals, had launched a major publicity campaign to encourage early reporting of child abuse cases in 1995 and another one focusing on prevention of child sexual abuse in 1996.

As to a suggestion about a comprehensive review of legislation concerning the rights of the child, he said Legislation had been reviewed before the Convention was extended to Hong Kong, which resulted in the enactment of the Parent and Child Ordinance but that the process of review was a continuous one.

The issue of adolescent suicide was also raised by members.