Resource Considerations

consideration and perceptions of fairness in workload, rather than on student learning;

deployment of teachers, specialist and supporting staff is too rigid and inflexible, with insufficient challenge or inappropriate role for staff;

upgrading of facilities and equipment, secured by hard-earned external funding, is not matched to student needs, so insufficiently used; and

under-use of the computer room and library, and insufficient use of IT to support learning and teaching, and to manage assessment data.

However, the Study does highlight that there is much good practice in some or parts of schools, which can serve as models for overall improvement across the special school sector.

11.4 In view of the heavy investment of resources in special education, the community legitimately expects high quality of special education that will maximise the potential of students with SEN. The findings of the Study are important issues for reflection of special schools in mapping out their future role and functions under NSS. A change of mindset and an emphasis on student learning are necessary to maximise the benefits of existing resources. It is in this connection that enhancements to the quality of school leadership will improve the focus on student learning. Any further allocation of resources will have to be tied to clearly defined curriculum targets and expected student learning outcomes.

11.5 In view of the diverse abilities and needs of students in special schools, we shall consider introducing more flexibility in resource deployment, for example, the use of cash grants or encashment of staff entitlement to facilitate special schools to acquire the most appropriate personnel or services to serve the needs of their students in a more targeted and cost-effective manner.

11.6 As regression of learning often occurs for students with ID or multiple disabilities, there have been requests from parents for more flexible arrangement of school days, such as shortening the summer vacation instead of prolonging activities during normal school days and re-deploying specialist staff to help students strengthen their mastery of independent living skills during long school holidays. This will also help strengthen the school-leaver programme prior to post-school placement.

11.7 At present, many parents are willing to be actively engaged in supporting school activities. Some parents serve as teacher aides in the classrooms, coaches in the extra-curricular sessions or helpers in the lunch time activities. Their presence helps to strengthen home-school collaboration and/or parent-child relationship.

11.8 While we see a continuing need for special schools to cater for students with profound/multiple disabilities, we also see an emerging role of special schools as professional centres to support ordinary schools in the implementation of IE. Based on the experience gained from special schools designated as resource centres for IE, EMB will explore further measures to strengthen the role and capacity of special schools in supporting IE, such as providing student attachment/partial schooling service to some ordinary school students for specific intervention/adjustment programmes, and as community resource centres on SEN services as well as regional centres of network support for ordinary schools.

There are also collaboration opportunities between special and ordinary schools to enable interaction of their students for the benefits of learning as well as for social integration.

11.9 At present, the majority of special schools do not operate senior secondary classes.

and support them to get prepared for the senior secondary curriculum, and when ready, to try-out senior secondary classes before implementation of the new academic structure.

(b) For schools with students with ID, we shall invite some of them to take part in the pilot projects in developing the NSS(ID) curriculum and the development of learning and teaching materials in the 3 years starting from the 2006/07 school year before full implementation in the 2009/10 school year. It is anticipated that the experiences gained from the EYE programme will form the foundation on which students’ knowledge gained from the basic education will be reinforced and integrated with high level learning at the senior secondary level. The pilot would be conducted in collaboration with parties concerned, especially those who have previous experience in providing educational service for students beyond the years of basic education for SEN. Support will be given to schools to create space for the R&D projects. Tacit knowledge and experience gained in the process will be consolidated and disseminated. It is anticipated that the project will inform any necessary support measures for these schools.

School Fees of Senior Secondary Classes

11.10 Existing government policy on tuition fee requires students to pay 18% of the cost of senior secondary education. Students with financial difficulties can apply for financial assistance through the SFAS thus ensuring no student is deprived of the opportunity for education at the senior secondary level. The same policy will apply to senior secondary students in both ordinary and special schools. In computing the average unit cost, the cost of both ordinary and special schools will be aggregated. In other words, students from both ordinary and special schools will pay the same level of school fee.

Boarding Service and Boarding Fees in Special Schools

11.11 At present, boarding facilities planned on a territory-wide basis are provided in some special schools to help students with genuine needs reduce their daily travelling time from home to school and vice versa during school days.

11.12 The introduction of senior secondary classes in special schools with boarding sections will lead to an increase in the demand for boarding service.

Resources have been earmarked for increasing the overall boarding capacity.

11.13 The unit cost of a boarding place varies with the types of special school and ranges from $76,000 to $186,000 per year. The existing boarding fee is around $440 per boarder per month. By comparison, the fees for hostels under SWD range from $1,600 to $1,800 per boarder per month. There is scope for an increase in the boarding fee for students with SEN through a gradual and phased approach. Parents with financial difficulties may continue to seek financial assistance through the SFAS.

School Conversion Work

11.14 Special schools that do not operate senior secondary classes at present will have to critically examine the physical accommodation of the school premises to ensure that there is sufficient space to accommodate additional classes for the introduction of the NSS academic structure.