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strong industrial orientation of the Hong Kong economy, seems clear that post-primary education should have a pronounced
technical bias.
Technical Education
9.
There has been much open discussion in Hong Kong of the need for greatly expanded facilities in technical education. The chief proponent has been Dr. S. Y. Cheung a Member of the Legislative Council (whom the Minister knows). There appeared to be divided opinions in Hong Kong as to the priorities whether they lie in the field of training craftsmen or providing more advanced courses in technology.
10.
To some extent this argument has been brought to the fore by the Governor's tentative proposal for a Polytechnic offering advanced technical training. The Governor put this forward as a project to which HMG might contribute as a gesture of interest and goodwill. It was submitted within the F.C.O. as a project to be considered if additional funds were made available for overseas expenditure as part of a programme to counteract our military withdrawal from South-East Asia. That programme seems to have run into the sands in our present economic difficulties and it is doubtful whether we shall hear any more of it. The project has been discussed between the ODM and the Hong Kong University Grants Committee and it seems clear that the most we can hope for from this source is a token contribution. The
discussions with the ODM raised doubts whether a new institution was necessary and precisely what its rele should be these aspects
are under further examination in Hong Kong.
11. A new development has been the opening of junior technical schools to fill the gap between the primary school leaving age of 12 and the minimum legal age for employment of 14.
Universities
12.
Student unrest in Europe and the Americas seems to have had its impact in Hong Kong recently, in a mild form but much magnified (it would seem) in the local press. If newspaper reports are to be believed it follows the usual pattern of
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