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Children and Youth Services

Services in Children and Youth Centres are strengthened by focusing on the needs of youths at risk, including runaway youths e.g. providing counselling service and programmes on interpersonal skills.

Assistance and Support for Students with Learning Difficulties

The "Whole School Approach to Guidance" is adopted to create a positive, caring and inviting environment in schools, thereby minimizing truancy cases. Under this Approach, programmes are organized to enhance parent-child communication, promote teacher-student relationship and increase students' sense of belonging to schools.

A Student Discipline Section was established in 1996 to provide professional support to secondary schools on student discipline matters including truancy.

Alternative schooling opportunities are provided for students with learning difficulties e.g. Skills Opportunity Schools and Practical Schools.

A permanent support team was established in 1996 to provide assistance to schools participating in the Curriculum Tailoring Scheme which is targetted at academically low achievers.

Research

To better understand the profile of runaway children and youths, the Working Group on Services for Youth at Risk chaired by the Director of Social Welfare commissioned a study on youth gangs and runaway youths. The Research was conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and was completed in March 1997.

The Social Welfare Department is considering the feasibility of one of the Research recommendations, i.e. launching a pilot project on a mobile centre to provide services for young night drifters.