Responsibility for development
Aid for the voluntary sector
Pre-vocational and vocational training
Improvement of supporting services
4.15 On 1st April, 1977, there were 4,095 places in special classes, 3,840 places in resource classes and 425 places in hospital schools, i.e. 8,360 in all. By 1985-86, the number of such places will be 13,950, 23,940 and 685 respectively (Appendices 2 to 4)-a total of 38,575.
4.16 In view of the scale of development of special education, the responsibility for developing different services will have to be shared between the Education Department, the aided schools and the private non-profit making schools. It is envisaged that special schools and special classes will be provided by both the Education Department and the aided sector. The private non-profit making sector will be encouraged to develop special and resource classes for slow-learning children, for maladjusted children, and possibly for partially sighted and partially hearing children.
4.17
To assist the aided sector to take part in the provision of rehabilitation services, the Code of Aid for special schools and special and resource classes will be revised. In particular, manning scales for teaching and ancillary staff, allowances for teaching staff and sizes of classes will be improved. Consideration is also being given to assisting private non-profit making schools to take part in the development of special education.
4.18 Having received junior secondary education, many disabled persons will want to find employment; others may want to continue studying at senior education or higher levels. However, some disabled students will not be able to seek employment without vocational training. There will also be a demand for such training (or re-training) of adults, who have newly acquired a disability. Existing vocational services will need to be expanded and new training courses opened.
4.19
There will also be a demand for pre-vocational training, which will be of special value to those disabled persons who have received no formal education because of a lack of places at special education institutions.
4.20 The Education Department will gradually assume responsibility for the planning and development of pre-vocational and vocational training. It will revise existing courses and develop new courses to suit the needs of the various groups of disabled persons, having regard to the kind of employment available. During the next five years, the Educa- tion Department will take over (in stages) from the Social Welfare Department the latter's responsibility for running pre-vocational and vocational training centres for the disabled. The Kowloon Tong Technical Institute (which is planned to open in September 1979) has been designed to accommodate a limited number of disabled students.
4.21 Certain categories of disabled persons, with the provision of special educational facilities during school hours, can cope with the work expected of an ordinary student. But some disabled children require assistance in addition to those services provided in special schools, special classes or resource classes. Blind students, for instance, require, among other aids, braille textbooks and the help of resource teachers; also, partially hearing pupils in ordinary classes require advice and assistance from peripatetic teachers.
4.22 Braille textbooks in Chinese are at present provided by the Education Depart- ment; textbooks in English have been transcribed into braille by a group of voluntary braillists who have been providing this invaluable service for many years under the auspices of the American Women's Association. Since 1976, the Hong Kong Society for the Blind has assumed responsibility for the supervision and co-ordination of these services. In view of the growing demand for braille textbooks, the Education Department will, as from 1st April, 1978, provide textbooks in both English and Chinese. The Society, with the help of the voluntary braillists, will then concentrate its efforts on the brailling of other educa- tional or cultural reading material for students. The Education Department will improve the quality and coverage of the existing resource teaching services for blind students.
Children with multiple 4.23 disabilities
A number of children have two or more disabilities. They may require extra attention to enable them to derive the maximum benefit from special education and to develop their full potential. Placement for these children is generally based on their major disability, but special classes or units will be provided for them within the special schools to which they have been admitted.
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