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Apr exports value down 13%

The value of Hong Kong's total exports decreased to $338.3 billion in April, down 13% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.   The value of imports of goods decreased 11.9% to $374.9 billion for the same period.   A trade deficit of $36.6 billion, or 9.8% of the value of imports, was recorded in April.   Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of exports rose 15.4%, while that of imports increased 10.7%.   The Government noted that the value of merchandise exports declined further from a year earlier in April. Exports to the Mainland, the US and the European Union all shrank and exports to other major Asian markets recorded decreases of varying degrees.   Looking ahead, it added that the weakness in the advanced economies will continue to weigh on Hong Kong's export performance, though the expected faster recovery of the Mainland economy should

Special education website launched

The Education Bureau launched a one-stop website SENSE today to facilitate easy access by the public to the latest information and online resources on integrated education and special education for supporting students with special educational needs (SEN).   The bureau hopes schools, parents and the public can enthusiastically use the website to help students with SEN enhance their learning and realise their potential at different developmental stages so that they can gradually become independent people with adaptability and self-learning abilities to embrace the challenges in life.   The website has five dedicated pages, namely Integrated Education, Special Education, Professional Support, Professional Development of Teachers and Types of Special Educational Needs.   The bureau has developed evidence-based support strategies, programmes and services to help schools enhance the learning and social adaptability of students with SEN through providing targeted support.   There are nine types of SEN, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mental illness, specific learning difficulties, physical disability, visual impairment, hearing impairment and speech and language impairment.   The Types of Special Educational Needs page provides schools and parents with resources and support measures for each of these SEN type for reference and application.
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