ENG-1998 — Page 198

EDUCATION

146

For cross-curricular studies in such areas as civic education, moral education, drug education, environmental education, sex education and AIDS education, the CDI has provided teaching guidelines and support materials to schools. These are integrated into various subjects in the secondary curricula. The Guidelines on Civic Education which have been implemented since September 1996 aim to enhance students' understanding of the Basic Law, the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' and a sense of belonging to the HKSAR, identity with the home country and contribution to the global community. Emphasis continued to be placed on promoting students' critical thinking. In the school year of 1998–99, a new subject of civic education was introduced at Secondary 1 to 3.

Special Education

The main policy objective is to integrate children with special educational needs into the community through co-ordinated efforts by non-government organisations with government support.

Early identification of special educational needs is important. Screening and assessment services identify hearing, eyesight, speech and learning/behaviour problems among school-age children so that appropriate follow-up action can be taken and remedial treatment given before the problems develop into handicaps.

Children with special educational needs are integrated into ordinary schools as far as possible. They are placed in special schools only when their handicaps are such that they cannot benefit from the ordinary school programmes. In June 1998, 72 visually-impaired, 668 hearing-impaired, 154 physically handicapped and 259 mentally handicapped students were integrated into normal schools, with the help of support services from the Education Department.

Special education classes in ordinary schools cater for visually-impaired, hearing- impaired children and children with learning difficulties. Services for children integrated into ordinary classes include school-based or centre-based intensive remedial support in the basic subjects, behavioural guidance to children and advice to teachers on how to help children with special needs.

A school-based remedial support programme and a school-based psychological service were also implemented to support secondary schools with a high intake of academically less-able students. These schools were given greater flexibility and additional manpower to provide remedial services for their students. Support services were also provided to secondary schools on matters relating to student discipline.

The operation of the Supportive Remedial Service for hearing-impaired primary school students who attend mainstream schools is very effective and the service was extended to hearing-impaired junior secondary school integrators in September 1998.

In December 1998, there were 62 special schools including a hospital school, schools for children who were blind, deaf, physically handicapped, mentally handicapped or with adjustment problems. Of these, 19 schools provided residential places. Besides being staffed by specially trained teachers, special schools are supported by specialists such as educational psychologists, speech therapists, audiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, school nurses and social workers.