Govt Urged To Extend Aid For Special Needs Kids

"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("

Related News Programmes

"); });

2018-03-21 HKT 13:09

Share this story

facebook

  • A concern group says support services for children with special needs have to also be made available to those who are older than six. Photo: RTHK

    A concern group says support services for children with special needs have to also be made available to those who are older than six. Photo: RTHK

A concern group on children with special educational needs (SEN) has called on the government to subsidise the therapy costs for students older than six years.

At the moment, the Social Welfare Department only provides support to families with children under the age of six who require extra help.

The SEN Concern Group said schools only offer academic support to older children and fail to provide social and emotional training. The group said this means parents can only seek assistance from social welfare organisations, which is often too costly for poorer families.

Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung said there is also a “fragmentation” of services, as those for primary students are provided by the Education Bureau, while those for pre-school children are offered by the Social Welfare Department.

"Because of the funding difference, the service patterns are completely different," he said. "And therefore when a student becomes a primary one student, a lot of these rehabilitation support services would vanish."

The government has said it will look into how the support can be strengthened.

RECENT NEWS

Is Hong Kongs Financial Hub Status At Risk?

Globally, Hong Kong has made its mark as a financial hub alongside Singapore and Dubai. These city-states, while rivals... Read more

Project Aurum Phase Two Focuses On Privacy For Retail CBDCs

The BIS Innovation Hub Hong Kong Centre, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has initiated t... Read more

Cyberport Welcomes New Directors, Retains Key Leaders For 2024-2026

Hong Kong Cyberport has announced the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government’s appointment of th... Read more

Redefining Resilience For Banks In The Digital Era With The Four Zeros

The banking industry stands at the brink of a major transformation, driven by rapid technological advancements and chan... Read more

GSBN Partners Ant To Digitise Shipping Processes In Hong Kongs WCBDC Project

The Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN), in partnership with Ant Group, has developed a prototype electronic bill o... Read more

HKMA Alerts Public To Fraudulent Claims Regarding E-HKD Pilot Programme

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) advises the public to exercise caution following reports of entities falsely cl... Read more