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The Education and Manpower Bureau has welcomed the direct investigation report on Assessment of Children with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) released by the Ombudsman today (April 19). It pledged to follow up and put into practice the various feasible recommendations for betterment of the services provided for students and their parents.
"We are encouraged to note the Ombudsman's recognition of our policy on early identification and intervention and our efforts in implementing improvement measures in recent years. These include publishing a new edition of the Observation Checklists for Teachers for the purpose of early identification of Primary One pupils with learning difficulties and a variety of teaching resources," a bureau spokesman said.
"In fact, while the Ombudsman's direct investigation was under way, a series of additional measures had been introduced."
"For instance, the bureau has been actively involved in the implementation of the five-year 'Read & Write Project', starting from September, 2006. With $150 million funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, this project is led by the University of Hong Kong and supported by the bureau, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Society of Boys Centres and Heep Hong Society."
"It is aimed at enhancing schools' capability to identify and support students with SpLD and develop assessment tools, a school-based support model and a district-based support network as well as professional development for teachers," he said.
"In the meantime, we have published a leaflet on Understanding and Helping Children with SpLD and organised seminars to enhance parents' awareness of SpLD."
This year the bureau will continue to improve the assessment tools including a revised edition of the Hong Kong Test of SpLD in Reading and Writing (with extended norms for Primary Five and Six pupils) and the Hong Kong Test of SpLD in Reading and Writing for Junior Secondary Schools Students for use by educational psychologists, as well as the Chinese Language Assessment Battery for Secondary Students for use by teachers.
As for teaching resources, the bureau will publish guidelines for secondary school teachers on helping students with SpLD, as well as a mathematics resource package to support primary school pupils with SpLD.
A training framework will also be put in place for teachers with a view to improving their capacity in supporting students with SpLD in the five years starting from the 2007-08 school year, supplemented with thematic courses on SpLD for English and Chinese Language teachers.
The spokesman stressed that parents played a very important role in rendering support to children with SpLD. In this connection, the bureau would strive to raise their awareness of SpLD and related services, such as revising the leaflet on the Early Identification and Intervention of Learning Difficulties Programme to depict the assessment procedures.
Bureau officers will also hold case conferences with school personnel and parents to discuss the appropriate support measures for the students with SpLD. Where necessary, the parents can obtain from the Bureau a copy of the educational psychologist's assessment report, which is written to facilitate schools to support the students concerned.
In addition, the bureau will continue to liaise closely with the Department of Health, with a view to better aligning and improving the relevant services provided by the two government departments.
The bureau welcomed the Ombudsman to initiate another direct investigation into special examination arrangements for students with SpLD and would render its full co-operation to this investigation.
Ends/Thursday, April 19, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:56
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