📋 Tender Overview
Following is a question by the Hon Lillian Kwok and a reply by the Secretary for Education Dr Choi Yuklin in the Legislative Council today July 16
Question
Integrated education has been implemented in Hong Kong since 1997 to provide comprehensive learning support for students with special educational needs SEN students to help them integrate into mainstream schools and a threetier intervention model is currently adopted by public sector schools to provide support for students with different needs including SEN students In this connection will the Government inform this Council
1 of the respective numbers of SEN students currently studying in mainstream secondary schools primary schools and kindergartens with a breakdown by public sector private and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools the number of students currently supported by each tier of the threetier intervention model in public sector schools as well as the amount of the Learning Support Grant involved
2 of the respective numbers of SEN students who dropped out from school pursued further studies upon graduation and took up employment upon graduation in the past three years among them the respective numbers of SEN students from mainstream schools and special schools who were enrolled in Shine Skills Centre upon graduation and
3 whether it will regularly review and update the employment support policies for SEN students in mainstream secondary schools including studying the provision of vocational and professional education and training for them and assisting them in taking Qualifications Frameworkrecognised programmes in schools so as to enable them to better plan for their future career development if so of the details if not the reasons for that
Reply
President
The Government attaches great importance to supporting students with special educational needs SEN and has continuously provided additional resources for the diversified and comprehensive learning support for these students A dualtrack mode is adopted at the primary and secondary levels which is subject to the assessment and recommendations of professionals and with the consent of parents the Education Bureau EDB will refer students with more severe or multiple disabilities to aided special schools for intensive support services Other students with SEN will attend ordinary schools to receive integrated education IE For the 202425 financial year the Governments expenditures on special education and IE are around 39 billion and 41 billion respectively representing a significant increase compared to previous years
Our key replies to the questions raised by the Hon Lillian Kwok are as follows
1 The EDB has all along been encouraging ordinary schools to implement IE with the Whole School Approach and adopt a threetier intervention model to support students with SEN Tier1 support aims for early identification and quality teaching in regular classroom with a view to catering for all students with diverse learning and adjustment needs Tier2 support arranges additional support for students with persistent learning or adjustment difficulties such as small group learning and afterschool remedial programmes Tier3 support provides individualised intensive support for students with persistent and severe learning or adjustment difficulties including drawing up of Individual Education Plans In the 202425 school year the number of students with SEN enrolled in public sector ordinary schools is 67 870 The detailed breakdown by type of schools is in Annex 1
Under the threetier intervention model the tier of support provided for students with SEN will be adjusted from time to time according to their learning progress and actual circumstances at different stages of development Schools should determine the tier of support required for students having taken into consideration students needs and make adjustments with respect to teaching curriculum and assessment According to the reports submitted by public sector ordinary schools via the Special Education Management Information System the numbers of students requiring tier2 and tier3 support as at January 2025 were about 62 900 and 4 360 respectively
To help public sector ordinary schools implement IE the EDB has been providing them with additional manpower and resources on top of the regular subvention The EDB provides Learning Support Grant LSG based on the number of students with SEN in a school in each school year and the unit grant rate corresponding to the tier of support they require on the basis of individual calculation The grant rates of LSG are about 16000 and 64000 per student per year Schools can flexibly deploy LSG according to the principle of holistic deployment and pool together various resources to provide appropriate educational services for students with SEN Schools should include a review of the resources used to support students with SEN in their annual school reports and upload the information onto their school websites
2 and 3 The Government provides 12 years free primary and secondary education to all children through public sector schools to ensure that all students of appropriate age can receive elementary education As regards special schools students generally graduate and leave school after completing Secondary Six However to help students prepare for life after school special schools develop specialised curricula such as community training practical workshops and preemployment training to cultivate students independent living skills develop their potential and integrate them into society Schools also assist students in planning and applying for postschool arrangements based on their interests abilities and service needs Based on the data collected by the EDB from various types of special schools the number of Secondary Six graduates from special schools in the 202122 to 202324 school years has consistently exceeded 500 each year The numbers of those taking up open employment
