MEMORANDUM ON THE BASIS FOR
CALCULATION OF BLOCK
GRANT
Submitted by Grant Schools to Colonial
Secretary.
Introduction
The discussions between the Grant Schools and Government concerning the proposed new Grant Code have now reached a point at which only one vital difference in principle s till remains between the opposing view-points; that of the Basis on which
This the proposed Triennial Block Grant should be calculated. Memorandum is an endeavour to set out clearly the reasons which move the Grant Schools to oppose the Government Scheme and to put forward one embodying their own proposals.
Curtailment of Liberty Inevitable in Government Proposals.
We wish to stress at the very beginning of this Memorandum that our opposition is not due to mere self-interest or obstructionism. On the contrary, we appreciate very deeply the sincere desire of Government to help our schools and the benefit education in Hong Kong. We are profoundly grateful that Government's increased generosity to education will make possible the paying of more adequate salaries to our staffs. We realize that the Government proposals offer uniform treatment and financial security to all our schools. Our opposition to the proposals is, therefore, not based on financial considerations, but on our conviction that, no matter what safeguards be inserted in the Code, the Government Scheme will necessarily and inevitably curtail drastically the legitimate liberties of our schools and therefore, equally inevitably, will lessen their usefulness and destroy the distinctive contribution which the Grant Schools can make to education in Hong Kong.
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Freedom of Grant Schools Guaranteed by Secretary of State.
The principle of the greatest possible freedom for the Managers of Grant Schools is enshrined in the Memorandum on Educational Grants (1933) :-
(p. 2) "Grants-in-Aid..
(2) It is not only because aided institutions may
be a cheaper form of education than Government institutions that voluntary efforts in education are to be encouraged. Private management is valuable in any system of education because it ensures that variety and play of personality which is important in every educational system.