融合教育的推行，靜靜地改變香港學校教育的生態。融合教育是西方發達國家的教育產物，通過國際組織的策動而擴散。它是一個建基於人權和平等觀念，強調尊重差異的教育發展方案，但也是一種知易行難的辦學手段。本文試圖理順融合教育的基本觀念，認識它的運作元素和討論它的實踐問題。藉着回顧一些國際和本地的研究發現和發展經驗，作者還希望為融合教育的持續發展提供意見。在天賦的「異」中求人為的「同」，是融合教育需要不斷面對的挑戰。
[Copyright of 香港特殊教育論壇 is the property of 香港特殊教育學會有限公司. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
https://sites.google.com/a/seshk.org.hk/seshk-org-hk/c_publication]

The work reported here grew out of an on-going investigation of the essential competencies required by teachers working in special schools in Hong Kong (Westwood & Wong, 2003). The earlier study explored the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that teachers in special schools are required to apply in their daily work with students with disabilities. This brief report addresses a slightly different question — namely, the areas of knowledge and skill in which teachers feel they require additional training and development. A total of 76 teachers in special schools responded to an open-ended request for information on this matter. Results indicate that teachers mainly require additional practical advice on teaching strategies, managing the behaviour of students with disabilities, and adapting curriculum to meet the students' needs. The teachers aslo perceived a need for additional information and skills in collaborative teamwork, and in acquiring an understanding of various therapeutic approaches deemed useful in special schools. The paper links the results of the survey with recent and proposed changes within the education system in Hong Kong.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Special Education Forum is the property of Special Education Society of Hong Kong Ltd.. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
https://sites.google.com/a/seshk.org.hk/seshk-org-hk/c_publication]

In 2000, the Education Commission launched a 10-year campaign that strived reform education by reconfiguring the academic system, including redesigning curriculum aims and assessment mechanism. Intense and frequent changes that resulted transformed the ecology of the education system. Local surveys indicated that most teachers suffered a high level of stress and many of them were nearly burnout. A combined inquiry was used to probe the external and internal influences that education reforms had upon teachers in schools for children with physical disabilities in Hong Kong. On the external influences, historical study and document analysis were employed. As to the internal influences, three methods were utilized. First, a four-section modified questionnaire was distributed to investigate these teachers' (n=92) stressors and gather data regarding their professional development. Second, 11 individual interviews were conducted in order to collect in-depth concerns from the representatives of novices, experienced and administrative teachers. Third, a focus group discussion with six experienced teachers was held to collect further data. Results of data analysis were discussed in order to provide recommendations to various stakeholders in supporting teachers along different stages of their career paths. 在2000年，教育統籌委員會啟動長達十年的教育改革，不但重新規劃香港學制，也重整課程目標及評估機制。自此，轉變密集而頻繁，改造了整個教育系統的生態，而本地多項調查顯示大部分教師承受着高度的工作壓力，有許多更近乎耗盡。本文採用綜合方法，深入調查教育改革對肢體傷殘學校教師所帶來的外在及內部影響。就其外在影響，作者運用歷史研究法及文件分析法調查；至於內部影響，則透過問卷調查、個別面談、焦點小組三種方法搜集資料。經過分析資料及討論觀點後，作者向教育官員、學校領導、特校教師提出建議，望後者在不同階段的教學生涯中獲得支援。
[Copyright of Hong Kong Special Education Forum is the property of Special Education Society of Hong Kong Ltd.. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
https://sites.google.com/a/seshk.org.hk/seshk-org-hk/c_publication]

In the previous literature on gifted education in Hong Kong, there has been little mention of special schools for gifted and/or talented students in Hong Kong except for GT College, Hong Kong's first college for the gifted. Some notable researchers in gifted education in Hong Kong have described the college briefly with regard to its admission policy but have not discussed its programmes. The present article aims to provide a more extended introduction about how GT College successfully nurtures its gifted and/or talented students to become future leaders in Hong Kong. The present article comprises a systematic overview of the historical developments of gifted education in Hong Kong. This is followed by a historical review of GT College. Then, GT College's learning and teaching philosophy is addressed followed by its innovative curriculum for gifted and/or talented students--Talent Development Programmes and Youth Development Programmes.
[Copyright of Gifted Education International is the property of Sage Publications Ltd..]

This study examines the development of education and the curriculum for children with mental handicap in Hong Kong, the influence of the Target Oriented Curriculum (TOC) reform on the development of the curriculum for these children and its implementation in a special school over a period of two years. Three research strategies were used: historiography, naturalistic evaluation and a case study. Data was gathered by means of document collection, interviewing and observation, and analysed by the method of constant comparison. The findings are considered in the light of political, technological and cultural factors in the developments of education and curriculum for children with mental handicap, in the introduction of the TOC to these children, and in the school personnel's interpretation and views towards its implementation. The extent of implementation of the TOC in the case study school was examined with regards to changing practices in materials, teaching approaches and teachers' beliefs. Five key themes emerged from the study: the extent of TOC implementation at school and classroom levels, the Education Department's commitment towards the education of children with mental handicap, whether curriculum reform was truly considered necessary, the ethos of teaching and the culture of special education/schools. It was concluded that the implementation of the TOC for children with mental handicap was a poor example of effective change, given the problematic nature of the reform, in particular the inadequate management of the change process. It was also evident that this reform repeated many past failures, making long term success of the TOC in special schools somewhat doubtful.

The aim of the programme was to deliver a field-based mode of training for teachers in special schools and to set up a school cluster system for teachers to have a platform for an interactive exchange of ideas, resources, services, and expertise among different schools that mutually addressed the needs of children with special needs. During the training period, lectures, observation of demonstrations and cross-site visitations were held. From 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2009, a number of 12 school clusters were organized. Members in a school cluster included lecturers from the institute of education, specialist professionals of the supporting schools and teachers of participating schools. A total of four insittute lecturers and 26 school teachers participated in this programme as trainers. The number of trainees was 101. The responses from participants of supporting and participating schools were very positive. They believed that this mode could enhance the application of new teaching techniques into their own classroom or school settings.
[Copyright © 2010 The Special Education Society of Hong Kong Ltd.]