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Following is a question by the Dr Hon Kenneth Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, in the Legislative Council today (June 5):
Question:
In recent years, mainstream primary and secondary schools (mainstream schools) in Hong Kong have tied in with the policy on integrated education and admitted students with special educational needs (including students with disabilities). Regarding the provision of barrier-free facilities for use by students in the premises of various primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of premises of mainstream schools in Hong Kong and whether it knows, among such school premises, the respective numbers of those which have been provided with the following barrier-free facilities:
(i) lifts;
(ii) lifts meeting the standards for use by wheelchair users;
(iii) ramps for use by wheelchair users;
(iv) toilets for persons with disabilities that meet the relevant standards;
(v) barrier-free facilities to assist persons with visual impairment; and
(vi) barrier-free facilities to assist persons with hearing impairment;
(b) whether mainstream schools are required, in carrying out major alteration or maintenance works in their premises, to install various kinds of barrier-free facilities according to the latest design guidelines relating to barrier-free facilities issued by the Buildings Department; if they are required to do so, of the implementation details; if they are not required to do so, the reasons for that; of the number of school premises in which additional barrier-free facilities were installed in the course of alteration or maintenance works in the past three years, and the details of such works;
(c) if it knows whether there were cases in the past three school years in which students with disabilities were not admitted or forced to change schools because the barrier-free facilities in the schools concerned were inadequate; if there were such cases, of the number of cases in each school year and the details; during the same period, whether there were any students with disabilities seeking assistance from the authorities and organisations such as the Equal Opportunities Commission, etc. because the barrier-free facilities in their schools were inadequate; if there were, of the respective numbers of cases in each school year and the details; and
(d) whether the authorities will formulate work plans to comprehensively improve the barrier-free facilities in the premises of all mainstream schools in Hong Kong; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
(a) In the 2012/13 school year, there are 852 mainstream schools in Hong Kong, amongst which 227 are new schools constructed after 1997. These new schools are in compliance with the prevailing requirement on barrier free access promulgated by the Buildings Department to facilitate access to buildings and facilities by persons with disabilities. For schools built before 1997, subject to technical feasibility and having regard to the operational needs of individual schools, the Education Bureau (EDB) has installed in most of them barrier free facilities, such as lifts, toilets for persons with disabilities and ramps, etc., through the second and later phases of the School Improvement Programme as well as major conversion or improvement works. EDB does not keep statistics on the barrier free facilities of individual schools.
(b) When major conversion or improvement works are carried out in schools, the EDB will install in their premises the barrier free facilities in need, such as lifts, toilets for persons with disabilities and ramps, etc., as far as possible, in accordance with the latest requirement on barrier free access promulgated in 2008 and other established criteria, such as technical feasibility, urgency for such facilities, availability of alternative measures to solve the inaccessibility problem and availability of funding. In the past three years, apart from other minor works for provision of barrier free facilities, approval has been given for 29 schools to install lifts as part of their planned conversion or improvement works.
(c) According to our records, the EDB has not received any cases in which students with disabilities were rejected or forced to change schools because of inadequate barrier-free facilities in the schools concerned in the past three school years (i.e. 2010/11 to 2012/13 school years).
(d) Under the EDB's established mechanism for upgrading school infrastructure, schools may carry out repair and improvement works on their school facilities according to their needs in the context of the annual major repair/conversion programme, including provision of barrier free facilities. In the past three years, 18 schools have been approved to install lifts through this mechanism. In addition, 11 schools will soon be provided with lifts under their major conversion programme.
Ends/Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:22
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