ENG-2012 — Page 166

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Education

In September 2012, a total of 258,530 children were enrolled in 455 public sector primary schools and 347,850 children in 397 public sector secondary schools. Public sector school places made up about 80.7 per cent of school places. In addition, there were 73 Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, offering about 8.4 per cent of the school places.

Special Education

Under the prevailing policy, subject to the assessment and recommendation of specialists/ medical practitioners and upon the consent of the parents, students with severe or multiple disabilities are referred to special schools for intensive support services. Other students with special educational needs are encouraged to attend ordinary schools. There were 60 special schools, 20 of which have boarding facilities, providing around 9,000 school places and 1,100 boarding places. In September 2012, some 31,400 students with special educational needs were studying in public sector ordinary primary and secondary schools.

The Government also helps gifted students develop their capabilities through the promotion of gifted education and schools have been supported by the EDB to design and implement gifted development programmes for their students. Teacher professional development programmes and teachers networks have been organised throughout the year to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills in gifted education. Curriculum resources in the form of curriculum packages have been developed and disseminated to schools for reference. Various territory-wide competitions have been organised to provide platforms for students to learn. from one another and to demonstrate their areas of strength. Outstanding students from these local competitions have been provided with further training and nominated to take part in international competitions.

In 2012, the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education provided over 6,500 places for students on a range of courses, workshops, competitions, mentoring and online learning. Nearly 3,000 places were offered to train teachers through thematic courses, outreach services, and the beginning of the new Professional Development Framework. Nearly 5,800 places were offered to parents who benefited from the Parent Education Programme, Outreach and Conference. The Consultation and Assessment Centre further provided services to parents through their email, hotline and face to face consultation.

Yi Jin Diploma Programme

From the 2012-13 school year onwards, the Government has put in place a Yi Jin Diploma programme to provide an alternative pathway for secondary 6 school leavers and adult learners. Successful completion of the programme earns the students a qualification comparable to the attainment of Level 2 standard in five subjects including Chinese Language and English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination for employment and continuing education purposes. There are both full-time and part-time programmes, run by member institutions of the Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education. In the 2012-13 school year, over 5,000 students enrolled in the Yi Jin Diploma programme.

Vocational Education

The Vocational Training Council (VTC) is a statutory body established in 1982 to provide a comprehensive system of vocational education and training for school leavers and adult

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