Note for File
Reference..
122
see Note
Yesterday I attended a meeting of TETOC, which had been called to meet Messrs. P. Y. Tang and S. F. Bailey, and to discuss the proposed new Hong Kong Polytechnic. Bailey's letter at (25) was taken as an agenda, and although nothing very concrete came out of this meeting I have, below, outlined the main themes.
On ( (a) Collins the Secretary of TETOC, suggested that staff were easier to come by in some autonomous institutions than in Government institutions. The feeling of the meeting was that some measure of autonomy was preferable, and this was welcomed by Tang, who seemed anxious to minimise all elements of governmental control. Collins felt that in general technical teachers prefer not to be civil servants. Tang also felt strongly that all staffing questions and matters relating to the control of staff, must rest with the Board of the Polytechnic; this met with general agreement. Sir Fred Pedler had the final word on this topic parity of esteem would be very difficult to obtain if one group of Hong Kong lecturers are civil servants and the other (the Universities) are not.
The question of a "unitary" or "non-unitary" system of organisation of the Polytechnic was not firmly resolved. Tang is very keen on a unitary system with a single director (ten minutes were spent discussing the merits of calling him a director/rector/anything else and it still was not decided), but beyond that agreement was not reached; it was generally felt that this matter will solve itself as plans for the Polytechnic advance. Physical considerations entered in at this point. The existing technical college is to continue on its present site, at the Kowloon end of the ferry, and will concentrate its resources approximately as at present, on engineering and other technical subjects, while the second college will be built on Hong Kong Island - at the other end of the ferry and its courses will reflect the needs of the business community in its vicinity. It was stressed by several persons that the two colleges should not be completely separate, and nor could the courses be totally isolated from one another. Great emphasis was placed on the need for marine engineers to learn accountancy techniques, and for accountants to learn to distinguish between a loom and a lathe. Until courses have been worked out in detail there- fore it was felt that a decision on how to administer each college would be premature.
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Sir Fred Pedler thought that it was too early to look for a principal, and that TETOC must await more detailed terms of reference before seeking suitable candidates. Tang, however, felt that it would be useful to appoint or at least interview some candi- dates soon. Collins moderated and suggested a time scale which would mean a full scale advertisement in January/March, for appointment beginning the next academic year. Tang mentioned that he was considering X meeting some candidates during his visit to the
United States (which begins today).
/ John Marsh