Efforts must be made to improve support for those with learning differences
Five months ago, I met a family who were planning to move to Hong Kong from overseas. Along with the normal worries about moving abroad, the parents were stressed about finding a school for their three children.

[Original source from Education Post]
Five months ago, I met a family who were planning to move to Hong Kong from overseas. Along with the normal worries about moving abroad, the parents were stressed about finding a school for their three children, who were aged four, 10, and 12. They hoped to find a school that had openings for all three students, and could also provide the necessary learning support for their 10-year-old. Without the support, the child would struggle in mainstream classes and fall further behind their peers academically. They were also concerned about the services available in Hong Kong outside of schools.
Applying for school is a stressful process for any parent. But the process becomes even more difficult when the child has a learning difference. Parents are often unaware that their child has a moderate learning difference, and are surprised to discover it when they apply to schools for the first time. Other parents find out later, when they are told their child is not progressing at the same rate as his or her classmates.
The challenge of how to include students with special learning needs has been gaining attention in Hong Kong and the wider international school community. A learning disability can hinder a student’s ability to profit from regular classroom instruction, despite his or her innate intelligence. Challenges with learning can appear in the form of reading difficulties, problems with writing or math, a lack of organisational skills and attention, memory issues, and problems navigating the social world. Recently, the American Chamber of Commerce hosted forum on school placement and the challenges faced by relocated families. During the forum, it was apparent that appropriate school places for all children are crucial to attract families to the city. This is challenging for international and independent schools, due to the increased material and physical costs it involves..
Schools that offer learning support operate in a variety of ways. Many schools offer learning support for students with mild to occasionally moderate differences. Usually, a school will offer some sort of inclusion support, pairing a Special Educator with a classroom teacher to minimise a student’s time out of class. For students with more significant skill deficits, it may be necessary to provide a pull-out service with more individual support and specialised interventions.
Schools should also offer strategic support, so the student can develop ways to cope in the mainstream classroom. At independent or private schools, this support requires a significantly higher teacher/student ratio than the average 1:15, and therefore generates additional costs. For students with moderate needs, the teacher to student ratio may need to be around 1:4.