109.
N:JLW.
Original in
13442/33
8
Government House,
Hong Kong,
22nd February, 1933.
2
92579/32
Sir,
With reference to the third paragraph of Wr. Southorn's despatch No.297 of the 9th June, 1932, regarding the action contemplated by the University am the Report of the Committee on Practical Technical Education in Hong Kon, I have the honour to forward for your information the accompanying copy of a letter addressed by the Vice Chancellor to the Colonial Secretary, together with the Report of the Sub-Committee of the Senate referred to therein.
2.
With regard to the suggestion contained in paragraph 38 of the Sub-Committee's report that facilities for the practical training of mechanical and electrical engineers might be provided by the Kowloon Canton Railway, I am advised that the Railway workshops undertake little beyond the upkeep and repair of rolling stock and that the experience to be obtained there would be likely at present to prove of little practical value.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant,
(sd.) W. PEEL.
Governor, &c.
THE RIGHT HONJURABL
SIR, CUNLIPP-LISTER, G.B.PH.C., ".P.,
oc.,
&C.,
âu.
UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.
20th January, 1933.
The Honourable the Colonial Secretary,
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hong Kong.
Sir,
9
I have the honour to refer to your letter of the
18th December, 1931, (No.1 in 1 in 2808/1930). In this
letter with which there was forwarded twelve copies of the
Report of the Committee on Practical Technical Education,
it was stated that His Excellency the Governor would be
glad to learn what steps the University proposes to take in
respect of those recommendations which particularly deal
with the policy of the University in regard to this question.
2. The Report of the Committee on Practical Technical
Education was placed before the Senate of the University on
the 25th February, 1932. At this meeting the following
resolutions were adopted: -
a
(1) That the Senate resolves to appoint a sub-committee
to prepare for the consideration of the Senate report of those aspects of the Report on Technical Education which affect the University.
(ii) That the sub-committee should consist of the following
members of the Senate: Professor F.A. Redmond (Professor of Civil Engineering), Professor G. T. Byrne (Professor of Chemistry) and Professor W. Brown (Professor of Mathematics).
3. I may perhaps add that Professor W. Brown was
originally recruited to this University to teach Engineering
and that he has recently been lent to the Henry Lester
Trustees to advise that body on the establishment of a
technical school in Shanghai in accordance with the terms of
the Will of the late Henry Lester.
4.
P
2 -
4. The report of the Sub-Committee came before the Senate at a meeting held on the 27th October, 1932, and
was adopted.
5.
The report of the Sub-Committee of the Senate came before the Council on the 28th November, but the Council decided to postpone its consideration to a later meeting. The Sub-Committee's Report was considered by the Council on the 5th December and it was decided that no further action was called for. A copy of the Report of the Sub-
Committee of the Senate is attached to this letter.
6. The issue placed by Government before the University was complicated by the feeling engendered in the minds of some of the members of the University staff that certain sections of the Committee's report were unfair to the University. As Chairman of the Committee, I can only say that it was not the intention of the Report to criticise the working of the University's Faculty of Engineering much less to condemn it. Certain criticisms had been made by a prominent local engineering firm and these were based on the allegation that the University's engineering
graduates lacked workshop experience.
This criticism
which has been levelled against the University trained engineer throughout the world contains an element of truth, but it is apt to confuse the issue and to blur the essential distinction between the function and purpose of a University
engineering course and the function and purpose of any
other system of engineering training, whether that training be conducted in a technical school or in a workshop supplemented by classes of general education. But the Universities Engineering Faculty had been challenged as a possible training ground for practical engineers - a training
ground
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