There currently is a very vibrant discussion about international trends in education. A ripple effect is influencing common new government initiatives in mainstream schools around the world. This paper suggests that whilst such initiatives have excellent government led policy support, special schools are open to absorb what they can. These initiatives are frequently ignored as special schools seek to cope with the special needs challenges. These new internationally recognised initiatives will require teachers to appreciate the need for a paradigm shift to change their prevailing pedagogical practices. Special school education must match these trends for they can offer exciting new understandings of student ability if the teachers can appreciate and apply the principles of individual self-determination rather than dealing with the shroud of disability. It is time for a paradigm shift in the pedagogy of special education. Copyright by Special Education Society of Hong Kong Limited. All Rights Reserved.

In the 2014 policy address, the Hong Kong SAR government decided to offer a grant for expanding the support of life planning education in secondary schools. It aimed to help students be better prepared for the transition from education to work. However, globalization and innovation of technology have increased future uncertainties. Students are suggested to have better preparation for different stages of life. Moreover, the expectations toward schools and education have changed. It is not limited to knowledge transfer but also whole-person development. Therefore, they were urged to provide life-based education to help students cope with various challenges in their life. This article discusses Life Planning Education promoted by the Education Bureau in terms of a Lifelong Learning perspective. It suggests expanding the current Life Planning Education to Life Education for covering all aspects of life and for achieving the goals of Lifelong Learning and whole-person development. It helps the student to be prepared for 21st century challenges.自 2014 年起，特區政府透過增加對學校的撥款用於推廣生涯規劃，協助學生訂立目標和計劃，從而面對畢業後在工作上所帶來的挑戰。然而時代的轉變，社會對教育和學校的期望亦有所提升和不應止於傳授知識。本文以終身學習的角度去討論現行生涯規劃教育，並帶出教育應該以生命為本。作者建議在現行教育局所提倡的生涯規劃教育加入生命教育元素，這不單有助培育學生發展終身學習的態度，亦能協助他們達至全人發展去面對 21 世紀所帶來的挑戰。 Copyright © 2019 Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal.

生涯規劃不單只是職業上的規劃,而是要為個人面對人生種種不同情境,作出全面的分析和規劃。有特殊教育需要的學生因著智能、肌能及職能發展上的限制,職業發展只屬於他們生涯規劃的一部份;更重要的是讓他們的生命有意義、有質素,並有尊嚴地渡過。本文嘗試討論香港及其他地方有關特教生生涯規劃的原則與理念,為建立他們整全人格的生涯規劃定位。文中介紹美國行之有效的生活為本教育轉銜課程,並以香港不同課程體系為比較實例,展示如何將生涯規劃應要掌握的內容在課程中實踐。Life planning is not just career planning but also helping individuals to face with all kinds of situations in life and make comprehensive analysis and planning. Students with special educational needs, because of their intellectual, physical and work limitations, career development can only account for a part in their life planning. The most important thing is to create a meaningful life with both quality and dignity. This paper attempts to discuss the principles and concepts in life planning of students with special needs in Hong Kong and other countries for establishing holistic personal development. In the paper, effective implementation of the Life Centered Education (LCE) Transition Curriculum in United States would also introduced. Some Hong Kong curriculum models were discussed for showing how local institutions practice life planning throughout the local curriculum context.
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本文探討在倡議智障人士應有生涯規劃下，香港的特教工作者可以如何為智障人士設定引向其期望的生涯規劃。在缺乏成人出路的配套，許多智障人士畢業後變成宅男、宅女。少數得到安置的智障人士，由於成人單位人手不足，他們的生涯亦在少活動、長等待中過去，要求提昇人手比例或生活照顧質素看似奢求。智障人士家長面對子女的醫療、居住、交通等種種生活難題，得到的只是政府重覆的敷衍回應，家長的訴求退卻至致力減少輪候的年期。通過作者個人觀察及實踐體驗，本文提出一些對智障人士生涯規劃的初步建議。 This paper looks at how in advocating for the right to proper career planning, special educators in Hong Kong should guide people with intellectual disabilities to achieve their expected career path. Without the provision of adequate exit arrangements for career placements, many students with intellectual disabilities become unemployed after completion of their school education. For the few who have been given immediate placements, there are very few activities organized for them as adult service units are always short of staff. They tend to spend most of the time idling. Any request to raise the staffing ratio and the quality of care appears to be luxurious. Confronted with other problems in medical services, housing and transportation, what parents of people with intellectual disabilities get are repeated casual responses from the government resulting in parents only asking for the shortening of waiting period. Through personal observation and practical experiences of the author, this paper offers some initial suggestions on career planning for people with disabilities.
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