Chief Executive Carrie Lam today visited a special school and a kindergarten in Sham Shui Po to find out more about the services provided for children with special educational needs.

At Mental Health Association of Hong Kong - Cornwall School, Mrs Lam was briefed by the principal on the education, rehabilitation and boarding services provided to students with severe intellectual disabilities. 

She visited the boarding section's classes and facilities to learn how the school enhances the students' abilities to care for themselves and live independently through life skills training to enable them to integrate into the community more easily.

Mrs Lam noted that many parents have found it difficult to care for students who had left school after graduation but had been unable to receive connecting rehabilitation services immediately.

During the consultation exercise for the Policy Address this year, there were views that the special schools could make use of the occasional surplus places in their boarding sections to provide residential respite places for graduates during long holidays.

Mrs Lam paid special attention to the boarding situation during her visit to explore the feasibility of the suggestion.

The Chief Executive also visited Po Leung Kuk Angela Leong On Kei Kindergarten & Nursery in the same district, where the principal briefed her on the provision of On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services for children with special educational needs in the school. 

Mrs Lam spoke to some parents who shared the view that the services had served the purpose of early identification and intervention, and that the effect was very satisfactory.

The Government aims to further increase the number of service places by 1,000 each year over the next two school years for a total number of 10,000 places in the 2022-23 school year.

Mrs Lam noted the provision of early support for children with special educational needs helps them grow healthily and alleviates the anxieties of their parents.