to
c)
5.
6.
7.
2
Magazine, and to pay, the expenses of Speech Day and Entrance Examinations. How much will be available even for Major Repairs? When it is realised that the School in addition has to meet other obligations, such as repayment of the principal of loans, the finding of half the cost of new furniture and equipment, the laying a side of a sum sufficient for the re-building of the School within a foreseeable number of years, it is quite plain that a sum of £2-2-0 per child per annum so far from giving the Managers any freedom does not even enable them to discharge their normal obligations. Most schools also find it necessary to subsidise the salaries of their office staff, as the Code provides salaries for a typist and a bursar which are at least 50% less than any business house would pay.
Further, even if the Managers can raise from subscriptions half the cost of some desired new equipment or building, they cannot have it without the Director's approval, and the latter may be compelled by the Treasury to refuse grants for equipment and buildings which he may agree are desirable on educational grounds. It follows then that the Managers must either forgoe the desired improvement or else find the total cost instead of half. The Anglican Schools have been and would be willing to take the latter course as far as possible, and thereby save Government money, but they cannot do this with the present proposed limitation on addi- tional school charges.
In regard to the last part of this paragraph I must again repeat that I regard it as both morally wrong and in fact pyschologically impossible to appeal for donations to Grant-aided Secondary Schools (except for the orphan children boarders at the Diocesan Schools). What is wise and moral is that parents who can pay should pay fair fees, and that appeals for charity and donations should go for scholarships; for vernacular schools under the Subsidy Code; for Boys and Girls' Clubs, summer camps for street children, etc. Mr.Rowell has misunderstood my use of the word 'incentive'. The incentive is:- freedom to require parents who can pay to pay reasonable fees; freedom to give more than 10% free places: free- dom to spend more than £2-2-0 per child per annum on making each School a school indeed, independent, characterful and different, and not just one more unit in a centrally directed system. The Director fails to point out that the highest fees in any Anglican School (£7 per term) are not more than twice the 1941 figures. The purchasing power of the dollar is anything from 1/3 to 1/5 of its pre-war value. The number of children granted reductions and total remission of fees further disposes of the contention that poor child- ren are debarred from entry.
My contention in London stands, and as a citizen of Hongkong I shall not cease to strive to secure it, that in a city where normal modern taxation is not possible fair fees should be charged those who can pay. School Managers can then give to the poorer children more than the 10% free places allowed by the Code.
The Director has ignored the offer of an immediate cut of 10% in the Grants to Anglican Schools. This would amount to less than £10,000 per annum, but it would go a long way in increased subsidies to primary vernacular education. I was informed that it was my action in initiating workers' childrens' schools which "compelled the government" to erect two new vernacular schools this year. I propose to go on using every ounce of my strength to "compel" the government to increase the amount of money spent on the education of Chinese workers' children in Hongkong. One way of doing this is to reduce the grants to Grant in Aid Schools and this can only be fairly done by giving freedom to the Managers who accept a reduced grant. I regret my calculations do not agree with the Director's.
It is in
a sense a gamble. If it is as generous as he suggests, naturally all schools would accept. But he has no right to offer us for 'other charges' minor repairs etc. a larger sum than would normally be necessary for this purpose.
I think this point is adequately met in my comments on 2 and 4 above. But as this point I might recaattulate why this issue is a life and death matter for Anglican Schools.
a)
In order to give security and reasonable salaries to teachers, the Draft Grant Code is both very generous and also very tightly regulated.