ENG-1982 — Page 107

70

EDUCATION

in Form 6 or at technical institutes, the Hong Kong Polytechnic, or the Technical Teachers' College.

Prevocational schools are government-aided secondary schools offering three years of junior secondary education. These schools provide students with a 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 a high proportion of prevocational students will enter approved craft apprenticeship schemes with associated part-time day-release courses at technical institutes. 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 supported by the Vocational Training Council (formerly the Hong Kong Training Council) and welcomed by industry.

The curriculum content of prevocational schools is made up of about 50 per cent technical education and about 50 per cent general education for Forms 1 to 3. The technical content is reduced to about 30 per cent in Forms 4 to 5. The senior secondary curriculum has been designed to give credits or exemptions for entry to technician programmes in the technical institutes. This two-year course is available to about one third of the Form 3 prevocational school leavers; the rest may go on to employment, often involving craft apprenticeship, or to unsubsidised education in the private sector.

At present, there are 12 prevocational schools providing a total of 10 680 places. A further 12 schools of this type have been included in the school building programme and are expected to be completed by 1985.

Special Education

The provision of special education continued to develop in line with the objectives of the White Paper on Rehabilitation published in October 1977. A total of 24 593 special places for handicapped children was provided in 1982. At present there are 70 special schools three for the blind, four for the deaf, 20 for the physically handicapped (including 12 hospital schools), 34 for the mentally handicapped, eight for the maladjusted and socially deprived, and one for children with learning difficulties.

―

In addition, there are 128 special and resource classes in 56 ordinary government schools 63 for children with learning difficulties, nine for the partially-sighted, 35 for the partially- hearing and 21 for the maladjusted. There are also 471 special and resource classes in 303 ordinary aided schools 448 for children with learning difficulties and 23 for the maladjusted. These special and resource classes, and a school for children with learning difficulties, are for the less severely handicapped and include both primary and junior secondary levels (up to Form 3). In addition, 1 363 less severely handicapped children are integrated into ordinary classes in government and aided schools.

A notable development in special education has been the implementation of a policy to provide educational places for all mentally handicapped children, irrespective of the degree of their disability. In the past, children with a moderate or severe mental handicap were given training in centres operated or subvented by the Social Welfare Department. In April 1979, however, the Director of Education started a phased take-over of responsibility to provide education for these children. The process was completed in 1982.

Preventive and follow-up measures in the form of screening, assessment and remedial services are undertaken in order to identify special educational needs among school-age children and to allow remedial action to be taken as early as possible. During the year, 290 535 children were screened, assessed or provided with remedial services by the Special

ר