3
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The Head of the Mechanical and Marine Engineering Department was particularly interested in our subject Marine Radio and Radar Technicians which although it is not offered overseas could have a possible demand in Hong Kong. I arranged to send him a copy of the scheme.
Department of Education
12. On 7th February I visited the Department of Education first for a short talk with the Director, the Hon. J. Canning. I learned that a few days before my visit he had submitted his resignation from his post after filling it for some 22 years. He expected to leave in the near future. This may have quite an effect on further education in the colony depending on the outlook of his successor.
13. Discussions were held with Mr. A. J. Kingwell, the Deputy Director for Technical Education and Mr. D. Waters, the Principal of the Morrison Hill Technical Institute who had been seconded to the Department of Education to work on the planning of the new Technical Institutes to be built in Hong Kong. Subsequently talks were held with Mr. N. Board, the Assistant Director of Technical Education who is due to retire in the near future.
14.
Hong Kong's plan is to produce ultimately eight Technical Institutes. One is already operating at Morrison Hill. Two more at Kwai Chung and Kwun Tung are in course of construction and expect to be operating for the 1975/6 academic year.
The fourth is to be built at Cheung Sha Wan to be operating in 1976 and the fifth at San Po Kong to be ready in 1977. Planning is proceeding for a further three Technical Institutes at Sha Tin, Tseun Wan and Tuen Mun at some time in the future.
15.
The Technical Institutes to be provided are based on the recommendations of the Hong Kong Industrial Training Advisory Committee which has conducted a number of man-power surveys. This committee which only had an advisory role has now been replaced by the Hong Kong Training Council. It is intended that the Technical Institutes should deal with both craft and technician students.
16. I asked about the co-ordination of examinations for the new Institutes but obviously little thought has yet been given to this problem. At craft level teaching and examinations would be in the Chinese language and I said that we would be willing to consider the extending of the existing arrangement for putting the City and Guilds "chop" on Chinese certificates in building subjects into other examination areas.
17. Mr. Kingwell will be coming to London and will call at the Institute to obtain our new overseas craft level syllabuses and course work schedules which will lend themselves to translation into Chinese and use at the Technical Institutes.
Morrison Hill Technical Institute
18. On 7th February in company with Mr. D. Waters I visited the Morrison Hill Technical Institute. The Institute was set up within the campus of the Hong Kong Technical College in September, 1969 and moved to its new premises on Hong Kong Island in July, 1970. Building extensions are now in hand to provide additional accommodation for three workshops to deal with teacher training, mechanical fitting and electrical installation courses.