ENG-1980 — Page 105

EDUCATION

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continue their education up to the Certificate of Education Examination level and later to proceed directly to technician programmes in the Hong Kong Polytechnic or the technical institutes.

Prevocational schools provide students with a solid general education and an introduction to wide-ranging technical skills upon which future vocational training may be based. It is envisaged that, after completion of Form 3, about 60 per cent of prevocational students, will enter approved craft apprenticeship schemes with associated part-time day-release courses in a technical institute. Credit units are given by the institutes for technical subjects which have been studied in depth. In addition, direct entry into the second year of an approved craft apprenticeship may be given. This form of technical training is fully sup- ported by the Hong Kong Training Council and welcomed by industry. At present, there are 13 prevocational schools with a total enrolment of 9,720. A further 12 schools of this type are planned.

A number of consultative arrangements aimed at providing additional avenues of com- munication between the Education Department, aided school management committees, and the heads and teaching staffs of both aided secondary and primary schools were introduced in the 1979-80 school year. These arrangements included small-group discussions between teacher representatives and senior officers of the Education Department; seminars of heads of aided primary schools; closer and more regular contact between area officers of the Education Department and heads and teachers of aided schools; and formal procedures for management-staff consultations in aided schools.

Special Education

The provision of special education continued to expand in 1980 in line with the objectives of the White Paper on Rehabilitation published in October, 1977. The number of special places for handicapped children increased from 22,722 to 26,017. There are 65-special schools - three for the blind, four for the deaf, 20 for the physically-handicapped, 29 for the mentally-handicapped, eight for the maladjusted and socially-deprived and one for the slow-learning.

In addition, there are 141 special and resource classes in ordinary government schools 62 for the slow-learning, 36 for the partially-hearing, eight for the partially-sighted and 35 for the maladjusted; there are also 478 special and resource classes in ordinary aided schools - 446 for the slow-learning and 32 for the maladjusted. These special and resource classes (and a school for slow-learning children) are for the less severely handicapped. Their class

ranges include both primary and junior secondary levels (Form 3). In addition, 1,254 less severely physically-handicapped children have been integrated into ordinary classes in government and aided schools. The progress of 900 of these children is supervised by the Special Education Section of the Education Department.

A notable development in special education has been the implementation of a policy to provide an education for all mentally-handicapped children, irrespective of the degree of their handicap. In the past, they received less formal training in centres operated or sub- vented by the Social Welfare Department. However, since April, 1979, the Director of Education has carried out a phased takeover of responsibility to provide an education for these children. In 1980, 15 centres previously subvented by the Social Welfare Department were transferred to the Education Department.

Preventive measures in the form of screening, assessment and remedial services have been adopted in order to identify disabilities in school-age children and to take remedial action as early as possible. In the course of the year, 293,759 children were provided with

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