2.
The second matter raised in your letter, the
Hong Kong Government's decision to re-deploy or retire
over the next three years Government primary school
teachers who are surplus to operational requirements,
was also taken only after consideration had been given to
your Union's views and those of other members of the Staff
Side of the Consultative Council. It was after consideration
of these views that the Government decided to modify one
of the recommendations of the Special Commission on
Certificated Masters and to retain a Government primary
sector. The Government does not feel that it would be in the
public interest to allow the number of surplus teachers
in Government primary schools to continue to mount and
the measures it has announced were designed to protect
the interest of your members by providing opportunities
for them to be redeployed to other expanding areas of
education - in particular secondary education, special
education, the school guidance service and the recreation
and sports service - as well as to other areas of the
Civil Service. As you know, no teacher need be retired
compulsorily before 1980 and will thus have a reasonable
time to make plans for his future.
There was considerable discussion of the
Government's scheme for redeployment and retirement at
the meeting of the Consultative Council on 8 August 1977,
which unfortunately your Union refused to attend.
Government has also explained its position fully to you in
correspondence.
The
I understand that you feel that the
interests of your members would best be served by direct
discussions with the Government. The Hong Kong Government
considers, and I agree, that your Union already has this