Rea
10th
July
Miss Janet E. Fookes, B.A., M.P.,
House of Commons,
United Kingdom.
Dear Miss Fookes,
Anthony Ea
Education Action Group,
16, Dumbarton Road, 3rd fl., Kowloon City,
Hong Kong
4th July, 1978.
Thank you very much for your letter dated 26th June and your concern and help for the Precious Blood Golden Jubilee School case.
I have read Lord Goronwy's reply with care. Lord Goronwy's reply is typical Hong Kong Education Department's version: namely that before the teachers made their allegations, the school managers had already reported the case to the Education Department on April 12th, 1977 despite the teachers' claim that they were the first who disclosed this malpractice. Also the term 'militant teachers' was first used by the South China Morning Post in its editorial on May 11th, 1978.
However, on May 29th, 1978, an important fact was established. The South China Morning Post, a leading paper here, reported that three teachers did approach Mr. Jack Cater, the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Feb., 1st, 1977 on the fraudulence and mis-appropriation of funds by the former Principal. The Independent Commission Against Corruption openly acknowledged this fact on 29th May, 1978. On the same day, the editorial of the South China Morning Post (clipping enclosed for your information in a separate letter) admits that they erred on this issue and questions: the Education Department's sequence of events. This revelation puts the credibility of the Education Department very much in question. Mr. Colvyn Haye, the acting Director of Education, who until May 29th, 1978, kept reminding the public of his version of sequence of events, kept silent since then.
There are two possibilities of the Education Department's claim of ignorance on this matter. First, their ignorance is genuine. If this is the case, they should openly apologize for their mistake. They are by duty bound to correct it and to review the whole issue in a different light. For the same reason, they should correct this fact in their detailed account to. Lord Goronwy. Second, the Education De -partment did know the fact, but they twisted it in order to make the teachers look bad in the eyes of the public. If this is the case, we question the Education Department's integrity and accountability to the public.
Since May 29th, 1978, the South China Morning Post refrained from labelling the teachers as 'militant', but change it to 'dissenters'.
Please confront Lord Goronwy with this fact. Thanking you in anticipation,
E
ION
教育
行動組
GROUP
Your sincerely.
Anthony Ha
Anthony/a, Chairman,
Education Action Group.