Getting to know Mike Doherty
- Transformative Movement Ltd
- Nov 21, 2022
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 14
Name:
Mike Doherty
MA, MEd, Adv. Dip Ed and Cert Ed
Principal, The Link School
Place of Birth:
UK
Year of Arrival in Hong Kong:
1975
What brought you to Hong Kong?
I had been teaching in England for a couple of years and I wanted to gain some experience of teaching in a different country. I applied for a position as a teacher in the Service Children Education Authority (SCEA) which has schools in many countries to educate the children of military personnel. In Hong Kong there were about seven or so primary schools with St George’s School in Kowloon Tong the only secondary school.
At the interview in London, the panel consisting of a colonel, a major and the principal of one of their schools asked me if I was offered a posting, where would I want to go? e.g. Malta, Cyprus, Germany etc. Without any thought about it, I immediately replied I would like to go to Hong Kong. A few weeks later I was offered the position and arrived in Hong Kong in 1975.
How did you get involved with the special needs community?
I had a three-year contract with SCEA and after a year of teaching a class of eight-year-olds at Gun Club Hill Primary School, I was presented with the opportunity to support children who were struggling with their learning at St Andrew’s School in Kowloon Tong. Although I missed being a class teacher, I was a bit surprised to find that I enjoyed working with this group of boys and girls and their teachers.
When the contract ended, I returned to the UK and completed a diploma course on children with special educational needs at the Cambridge Institute of Education and then obtained a master's degree at the University of East Anglia.
In 1980, I was teaching Vietnamese refugee teenagers at a Centre in Ipswich, managed by Save the Children. I did this for one year and then I taught in a primary school supporting children with moderate learning difficulties.
How did you make your way back to Hong Kong?
In 1982, I came back to Hong Kong to work for the English Schools Foundation ("ESF"). I was recruited to be the Head of the Special Unit, as it was called in those days, at South Island School. This title changed to become Head of Learning Support.
After a couple of years, I applied for the position of Head of the Jockey Club Sarah Roe Centre. This was intended to be for children and young people with more serious learning difficulties. During this time, I completed a Master of Education (Special Education) at the University of Hong Kong.
The Jockey Club Sarah Roe Centre started off with six pupils and once the provision was established, it was inevitable that more parents would apply to have their child enrolled. The Centre eventually became the Jockey Club Sarah Roe School after obtaining the approval of the Education Bureau. Later, the Hong Kong Jockey Club made a second donation to the ESF and a purpose built school was established.
The range of children with more severe learning difficulties meant that it had a number of facilities that made it unique in Hong Kong at that time. The maximum number of pupils was capped at 40 pupils aged 5 -19 but by the time I retired from the ESF in 2009, there were 60 pupils on roll and there was a waiting list.
How are you currently involved with the special needs community in Hong Kong?
After leaving the ESF, I was offered a job at Family Partners School ("FPS"). The plan was to set it up and stay for two years but I ended up being there for ten years altogether. When it finally closed in May 2020, I became involved with establishing and managing The Link School.
I am currently the Principal of The Link School.
Please tell us about The Link School.
Following the closure of FPS, The Link School was established on 1 August, 2020 by a dedicated group of parents eager for their children to continue learning in a small class setting and a supportive environment. We currently have 9 pupils divided between 2 classes. The maximum number of pupils that we can accommodate is 21.
The Link School provides a quality education which is tailored to each pupil's special educational needs. Our primary focus is on the development of communication, social interaction, independence, literacy and numeracy. We know that by keeping these key elements at the heart of everything we teach our pupils, their life chances will be enhanced.
We draw on the framework of the National Curriculum to help us provide a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible outcomes for all our pupils regardless of their individual needs or obstacles they may have to face when learning with others. This means that all our pupils have the same opportunities to participate in the classroom activities according to their needs, abilities and interests.
We place great importance on celebrating progress and promoting kindness and acceptance, as well as the crucial partnership that we maintain with parents, who are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education.
We also utilise the local community as an extended classroom and organise education visits and day camps throughout the year.
How do you address each child's individual needs?
At The Link School we have high expectations for our pupils and we encourage them to do as well as they possibly can throughout the school day. We want to support our pupils to be as independent as possible in their self-care, including dressing, food preparation and eating, shopping, hygiene, etc. and equip them with the skills and knowledge required to keep themselves safe and healthy.
We know our pupils have different ways of learning and we address this by ensuring that the lesson content is exciting and challenging and they have time to think about what they are doing and are supported in their effort.
Each pupil has an Individual Learning Plan ("ILP"). The purpose of this plan is to focus on particular areas of need and ensure that suitable short term targets are established related to the four following areas: Social Skills, Self-Management Skills, On-Task Behaviour, and Communication and Interaction with others.
Who is eligible to apply?
The school admits children and young people aged 5 - 18 who have learning difficulties and need a more personalised approach to help them with their learning. Some of our parents have requested additional vocational training for their children after they reach the age of 18, and this is something we are considering for the future.
Are you able to accommodate different types of special needs?
Yes, our students have a range of different learning difficulties and they would probably find a mainstream school very challenging. Our teachers possess a wealth of experience in supporting children with special educational needs and offer a tailored approach aimed at helping each child progress at their own pace.
Do you offer any additional support for students at the Link School?
We have a Speech Therapist and an Occupational Therapist who visit the school and are available to work with pupils. They help us assess the pupils and establish individual therapy programmes. Following an initial assessment, they will work with the class teacher either in class or on a 1:1 arrangement. The therapists keep the class teachers informed of progress through regular meetings.
Is The Link School an English-medium school?
All lessons are currently taught in English. However, we can also accommodate Cantonese speakers.
What advice can you offer parents in their search for the right school for their child with special needs?
The availability of places in schools is a serious issue for many parents in Hong Kong. I would suggest that parents visit various schools, pay close attention to the way the teachers address the pupils, and observe how the pupils interact with the teacher and the other pupils. It is also important to find out about the teacher-pupil ratio, whether the teachers are registered with the EDB and have completed additional qualifications in SEN and how the school encourages the pupils in the classroom.
There is no harm in asking how much access children with SEN have to the various facilities in the school. A big part of any initial visit is to get a sense of the ethos of the school as that will impact the child. The school should be welcoming and identify the welfare and education of its pupils as its top priority.
How has education support for students with special needs evolved in the past 10 years and in what ways is it getting better?
There has been improvement overall in the provision for children who learn at a different rate to others and there is a greater awareness now of the need to adapt the curriculum content to help the child be a part of the class. Teachers are more willing now to have children with special educational needs in their classroom.
Individual schools have established policies on how to accommodate these pupils and teachers have a wider range of professional development opportunities to help them adjust their planning and delivery of lessons. There are still some schools that have quite demanding entry requirements and this can prove to be an obstacle but the overall climate in schools is more positive and accepting.
What have been some of the rewards and challenges of working with children with special needs?
There have been a few challenges over the years for example, in encouraging teachers to allow children with more serious SEN into their classroom or convincing schools that it is to their benefit to enable their pupils to mix with others who have learning difficulties because it gives a more accurate picture of society and makes for a more tolerant approach. Other challenges include recruiting suitable staff and prioritising spending for specialised equipment and resources when the budget is limited, to name a few. The reward for me, and I think for most teachers who are involved with children who have special needs, is the satisfaction of recognising that our effort and contribution has helped these children make progress over some aspect of their learning. Another huge benefit is working with some very talented teachers and therapists and together we collectively help the students to learn and enjoy their school experience.
Where can parents find more information about The Link School and how to apply? The Link School has a website: www.linkschool.hk
Parents are welcome to contact me by email: mdoherty@linkschool.hk
