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there were 1,702 vacant primary school places in the Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Estate, there were 3,452 children between the ages of 7 - 13 not attending any school at all. However, a more accurate survey was carried out in this estate during the second half of July 1964 and in his letter to me dated 8th September, 1964 the Commissioner stated that there were in fact 3,125 children in the 7-13 age group who were not going to school. Mr. Chairman, I lay upon the table this detailed 65-page survey report which has been prepared by the Resettlement Department showing the names and ages of children family by family, who were not attending school in the Wong Tai Sin Estate as at the end of July 1964. I would be grateful, Sir, if you could pass this report on to the Director of Education with the request that he do everything in his power to give these unfortunate and underprivileged children the opportunity to receive a primary school education.
I find it surprising that the White Paper does not take a more positive step on the need for introducing some form of compulsory primary education system. This is the foundation of any modern progressive educational system, and I would urge the Government to give this aspect a more thorough review within the next 12 months.
Hong Kong is to-day Great Britain's biggest remaining colony, and it is highly surprising that since the Labour Government came to power, there has been no news of an impending visit to Hong Kong by the new Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Anthony GREENWOOD. We in Hong Kong would like Mr. GREENWOOD to take a more direct interest in the welfare of Hong Kong and her people. We want him to know that the poor people and the white-collar workers are completely dissatisfied with the existing education policies, which are primarily due to the Government's unwillingness to allocate a larger percentage of the Colony's budget to education.
The Civic Association Elected Members believe that the great majority of people in Hong Kong are in favour of this motion, because it affects them personally and because it would enable Members of the Urban Council to take a stronger interest in the education problems of Hong Kong's children. It might be argued that the Director of Education is too busy to become a member of both the Legislative and Urban Councils. Well, so are the Director of Urban Services, the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, and the Director of Public Works, who already sit on both Councils.
It is common knowledge that there is no political democracy in Hong Kong, but only a bearable and benevolent colonial dictatorship. And because the colonial Government in Hong Kong cannot be dismissed at the polls, the moral responsibility of the London Colonial Office is all the more heavy when it comes to fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the 90% population who do not read or write the official language of the Colony. Therefore, I call upon the Government to give our children the best education that Hong Kong can afford. Is that not more vital than accumulating huge budget surpluses? What glory is there in being dubbed by the World Bank as being the only over-solvent Colony in the world? Let us not run the risk of Hong Kong becoming known as the White Man's colonial burden in the years to come because we are not far-sighted enough now to give every child the decent education which is his birthright.
The men who have been appointed to the Legislative Council by His Excellency the Governor are intelligent and conscientious men and we respectfully urge that our views be given every consideration by our Legislative Councillors.
MR. CHEUNG WING-IN-I rise to second the motion of my colleague Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN.
I am sure we all know the importance of education and are aware of the deep public concern for the education of our younger generation. In a place like Hong Kong where our main assets lie in the innate qualities of our population, education must be given the priority it deserves. The point to consider appears to be whether the appointment of the Director of Education as a member of this Council will help to further our educational facilities when the functions of his department are still outside our scope. In my opinion, his very association with this Council, with ready access to public opinion through its 20 elected and appointed unofficial members, would help Government to gain the confidence of the public and would prove beneficial both to Government and to the people of Hong Kong.
The interest and deep concern of individual Councillors in education need no emphasis. Their unfailing efforts for the public good have received public recognition, and it is clear there has been much public dissatisfaction over Government's persistent refusal to answer questions on educational issues raised in this Council. In the past Government might have had its reasons for maintaining a lofty silence in the face of public criticism of its education policy. Now the guide lines of a long-term policy have been laid in the White Paper on Education. I believe that Government should welcome any question or suggestion put forward by Unofficial Members of this Council, who will serve as a valuable bridge between Government and the public on the vital subject of education.
Mr. Chairman, it has been the declared object of this Council to seek wider and heavier responsibilities for the improvement of living conditions of the people of Hong Kong. As a first step, we would like the Director to be with us to clarify the manifold questions on education which often trouble the minds of many Unofficial Members in this Council.
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