TNAG-0608-FCO40-756-Planning-paper-on-progress-made-on-social-security-in-Hong-K-1977 — Page 41

Chapter 4

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Existing services

4.1

Specific objectives for future development

In April 1977, 12,165 special education places were available for students with disabilities, made up of 3,805 places in special schools, 4,095 places in special classes in ordinary schools, 3,840 places in resource classes in ordinary schools and 425 places in hospital schools. In addition, there were 1,756 places at children's training centres and 732 places at pre-vocational and vocational training centres run by the Social Welfare Depart- ment or by voluntary organisations.

4.2 A comparison between the present and foreseeable demand and the planned supply of school places indicates that sufficient places will be available for the deaf, the blind, the physically disabled and, in the more distant future, the maladjusted. But there will be significant shortages of places for the mentally retarded and for slow-learning children. However, until the size of the disabled population becomes clearer, it would be prudent to plan educational services on the basis of present estimates of needs. As more reliable statistics become available, the rate of development can be adjusted. The objec- tives for the development of education services are:-

(a) all disabled children will be provided with 9 years of subsidized general education and some will receive a longer period of such education; thereafter facilities will be provided in accordance with the general expansion of senior secondary educa- tion for those disabled children who are capable of receiving it. Vocational training for disabled children will be provided beyond normal school-leaving age, to help them to achieve their potential;

Staff training

4.3

Pre-school education and training

(b) early education is of particular value to the disabled. Special pre-school education and training will be given to certain categories of disabled children (mainly the more severely disabled);

(c) disabled children will be encouraged to receive education in ordinary schools. However, for those children who, because of their disabilities, cannot benefit from education in an ordinary system, special schools and classes, resource classes and peripatetic services will be provided; and

(d) the present division of responsibility for providing services for the mentally retarded between three departments, on the basis of an 1.Q. level, will be abandoned. The objective is to provide education and training for all mentally retarded persons, irrespective of the degree of retardation. This will be the responsibility of the Educa- tion Department, which will assume the responsibility from 1st April, 1978 for subventing voluntary organisations, which are providing education and training for the mentally retarded.

Development of educational services for the disabled, based on the adoption of the above objectives (for example, the number of special education places will be increased from 12,165 on 1st April, 1977 to 50,800 by 1985-86) will require an increased output of trained staff at pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, pre-vocational and vocational levels. At present, most teaching staff for special education are trained on a part-time basis, though specialist staff and some teaching staff are sent overseas for specialist training. With the very big increase in the need for trained staff, all existing methods of training will be expanded. Training will also be provided for staff who are involved in the education of pre-school disabled children in ordinary nurseries, in special pre-school training centres and in other children training centres. Consideration is being given to the possible establish- ment of full-time training courses for teachers in the special education field and of courses in Hong Kong on specialised subject:, for which training is at present only available

overseas.

4.4

Early training can help a disabled child to form good habits and to learn better during the early formative years of his development. In the coming decade, pre-school train- ing will be developed in two ways.

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