6
teachers, thus making the teaching staff even more homogeneous
in outlook and beliefs. The students, on their part, had
developed considerable rapport with and respect for the teachers.
Under their guidance, the students were also given many oppor- tunities organising for themselves various kinds of group activities,
some of which involving the entire student population. These
attitudes and capabilities developed among the students had
some bearing on the events that were to come later.
III.
14.
Financial Mismanagement and its Disclosure
The Committee is of the view that financial mismanagement
at the School and its disclosure were central to the entire
Precious Blood Golden Jubilee Secondary School affair. Financial
mismanagement provided those responsible for disclosing
it as well as those who considered themselves its victims
a justifiable reason for dissatisfaction and complaint.
15.
In the aided sector, a school management is allowed
considerable flexibility in the use of grants allocated by the
Education Department, for example, block grants for Janitor staff and for Administration. A sponsor is also permitted to engage in trading activities in the School, provided that the profits derived are used for the benefit of that particular
school. In the case of the Precious Blood Golden Jubilee
Secondary School, Sister Beatrice Leung enjoyed an even greater
degree of flexibility in that she was both Supervisor and
Principal. The other two members of the Management Committee
were nuns of the Precious Blood Congregation. They appeared
to have little knowledge, not to mention control, of the affairs
of the School.
16.
There does not seem to be any evidence that the
funds wrongfully diverted were put to personal use. The Committee
was told that a considerable amount of the misappropriated funds were repayments to the Precious Blood Congregation for sums of money advanced by the Congregation. It was put to the
/Committee