10.5
The Government recognises that if these proposals for expanded child care for disabled children are to be successful, further support must be given to the voluntary sector and the advice of the Rehabilitation Development
Coordinating Committee should shortly be sought.
10.6
Some disabled children attend kindergartens. Although the numbers are not known, it is likely that such children have only mild disability. However, where operators of kindergartens do require advice or assistance they are encouraged to utilise the resources of the Special Education Services Centres.
Special education at the primary level
10.7
The proposals of the White Paper on Rehabilitation also impinge directly on primary education, and these have therefore been re-examined closely with a view to proposing ways in which their implementation can be facilitated. The provisions of special education include special schools, special classes and resource classes. In respect of resource classes a change of approach is suggested below.
10.8
Resource classes are designed for slow learning children not sufficiently handicapped educationally to need a special class or to attend a special school. Resource classes should not be confused with remedial teaching which is designed to assist normal children with specific, but temporary, difficulties. In resource classes the supply of educational resource materials is very much above average so that pupils can work on individual assignments under the general guidance of the teacher. In these conditions, a teacher can take care of a number of children at different levels of attainment at the same time. The pupils are taken out of their normal classes for one or more of the subjects, English, Chinese and Mathematics. They may need help for 1, 2 or 3 years with an average of about 2 years calculated on the basis of past experience. It has been found in practice that by taking different groups of children at different times a total of 40 pupils can be catered for by a resource class. From this, it can be calculated that one resource class in a 24-classroom school could provide this service for about 12%1⁄2% of the children passing through the school.
10.9
The theoretical need for resource classes is assumed to be only about half of this. Furthermore, a study of the Academic Aptitude Test (AAT) results shows that children in this ability range are scattered disproportionately among schools, with smaller schools tending to have the larger share. The result is that there are many schools which need resource classes in which the total number of children does not justify the appointment of a resource class teacher. Moving these children to another school would defeat the object of resource classes which is to give them help without suffering the trauma of settling in a new environment with a new curriculum which would set them back even further.
10.10
It is therefore proposed that all schools where there is a proven need should provide resource class teaching, irrespective of the number of pupils involved. If the number does not justify a full-time teacher, resource class teaching should become the part-time responsibility of a carefully selected member of the staff. Since there is a strong common element in resource and remedial type teaching, it is further proposed that where numbers
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