Thursday, April 12, 1973
GOVERNMENT COMMENTS ON THE LATEST STATEMENT ISSUED
BY THE JOINT SECRETARIAT OF THIRTEEN EDUCATIONAL BODIES
Commenting on the statement issued by the Joint Secretariat of
thirteen Educational Bodies last night, a Government spokesman said today:
Church leaders, leading members of the community and, above all,
parents, have advised Certificated Masters not to support the boycott
action proposed by the Joint Secretariat for tomorrow.
An elected leader of the teachers has said that his members are
not going to support the boycott and are opposed to such action.
It is difficult to believe that the Joint Secretariat represents
the views of all Certificated Masters. Teachers are responsible people
who obviously have the interests of children at heart since they chose
teaching as a profession. We cannot and do not believe, therefore, that
they would wish to associate themselves with the action proposed by the
Joint Secretariat, which must be condemned by all right thinking people.
The inexplicable changes in the attitude of the Joint Secretariat,
as reflected in their public statements during the last week, must call into
question both their sincerity, motives, and indeed their objectives.
In their statement issued on April 7 they are on record as saying:
"We solemnly declare that, if the Government accepts the following four
recommendations to improve education in Hong Kong, we are willing to cancel
the scheduled strikes on April 13, May 2 and May 3, and the boycott of the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination", and that "we are ready to undergo
personal sacrifices for the sake of the common good".
These points