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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1975
MISUNDERSTANDINGS ON U.P.G.C. ROLE CLEARED UP
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THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE HAS SUBMITTED ITS FOURTH REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT COVERING THE PERIOD JULY 1972 TO JUNE 1974. IT INCLUDES A REPORT ON THE GOVERNMENT SCHEME OF STUDENT FINANCE AND STATISTICS ON THE TWO UNIVERSITIES AND THE POLYTECHNIC.
THE REPORT STATES THAT RECENT PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS HAVE REVEALED +SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDINGS+ OF THE ROLE OF THE U.P.G.C. IT THEN GOES ON TO DESCRIBE THE U.P.G.C. AS A NON-POLITICAL INSTITUTION FOR SUPERVISING THE OVERALL PLANNING OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND FOR ADVISING THE GOVERNMENT ON THE MINIMUM NECESSARY COSTS.
THE COMMITTEE SHOULD NOT MERELY REFLECT THE GENERALLY MORE LIMITED VIEWS OF STUDENTS OR STAFF, OR BE SWAYED BY CURRENT ARGUMENTS IN THE INSTITUTIONS OR IN SECTIONS OF THEM. IT HAS TO SERVE THE WIDER INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, THE REPORT ADDS.
IT SAYS THAT BOTH UNIVERSITIES HAVE BEEN ASKED TO KEEP TUITION FEES UNDER REVIEW AND TO REPORT TO THE U.P.G.C. IN 1976.
POLYTECHNIC TUITION FEES ARE DESCRIBED AS LOW IN RELATION TO THE UNIVERSITIES, BUT THE POLYTECHNIC BOARD IS CONSIDERING NEW FEES IN CONNECTION WITH A PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT FINANCE SCHEME TO THE POLYTECHNIC.
THE REPORT SAYS THAT ALMOST ALL THE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITIES ARE FROM HONG KONG AND THE PROPORTION OF NON-HONG KONG STUDENTS HAS DROPPED FROM 2.9 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL UNIVERSITY STUDENT BODY IN 1967/68 TO 1.5 PER CENT IN 1973/74.
THE NUMBER OF POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS HAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY BUT THE UNIVERSITIES REMAIN PREDOMINANTLY UNDER-GRADUATE TEACHING INSTITUTIONS.
AT THE POLYTECHNIC IN 1973/74 THERE WERE 2,419 FULL-TIME STUDENTS AND 1,354 PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE STUDENTS. ABOUT 54 PER CENT OF THE STUDENTS WERE ON THREE-YEAR DIPLOMA COURSES, IN ADDITION THERE WERE 12,612 EVENING STUDENTS, OF WHOM 89 PER CENT WERE ON COURSES OF ONE YEAR OR LONGER.
THE REPORT NOTES THAT FEWER GRADUATES FROM THE UNIVERSITIES ARE GOING INTO TEACHING AND THAT A LARGE NUMBER WHO DO SEEM TO BE DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR WORK. IT SUGGESTS THAT TOO GREAT AN EMPHASIS ON SHORT-TERM MONETARY VALUES CAN BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE AND STRESSES THAT EDUCATION REQUIRES LONG RANGE OBJECTIVES.
IN THE SEPARATE REPORT ON STUDENT FINANCE IT IS STATED THAT SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS FOR FALSE STATUTORY DECLARATIONS HAVE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF DOUBTFUL CASES.
THE JOINT