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places would be available for the deaf, the blind, the physically

disabled and, in the more distant future, the maladjusted. But there

would be significant shortages of places for the mentally retarded

and for slow-learning children. However, until the size of the

disabled population became clearer it would be prudent to plan

educational services on the basis of existing estimates of needs.

The objectives for the development of education and related services

were therefore as follows:

(i) all disabled children to be provided with

nine years of subsidised general education,

some to receive a longer period of such

education; thereafter, facilities to be

provided in accordance with the general

expansion of senior secondary education.

for those disabled children capable of

receiving it; vocational training for

disabled children to be provided beyond

normal school-leaving age, to help them

to achieve their potential;

(ii) special pre-school education and training

to be given to certain categories of disabled

children (mainly the more severely disabled);

(iii) disabled children to be encouraged to receive

education in ordinary schools: however, for those

children unable because of their disabilities to

benefit from education in the ordinary system,

special schools and classes, resource classes

and peripatetic services to be provided;

(iv) the existing division of responsibility for

providing services for the mentally retarded

between three government departments, on the