WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1978
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HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC AMENDMENT BILL PASSED
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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY PASSED A BILL WHICH SEEKS TO AMEND SUBSTANTIALLY THE POLYTECHNIC ORDINANCE.
TWO UNOFFICIALS SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC (AMENDMENT) BILL 1978.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, THE HON. SIR S.Y. CHUNG HOPED THAT ANY CHANGES IN FUTURE WOULD TAKE THE FORM OF FURTHER EXPANSION IN STUDENT NUMBERS, PARTICULARLY IN RESPECT OF THOSE PURSUING PART- TIME STUDIES WHO NEEDED TO UP-DATE AND RE-TRAIN THEMSELVES TO MEET THE EVER-CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES IN HONG KONG.
+WE ARE ALL ACUTELY AWARE IN THIS COUNCIL OF THE URGENT NEED TO DIVERSIFY HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIES, AND THE POLYTECHNIC MUST AND WILL PLAY AN EVER-INCREASING ROLE IN THIS VITALLY IMPORTANT ENDEAVOUR,+ HE SAID.
SIR S.Y. CHUNG POINTED OUT THAT EXPANSION AND DIVERSIFICATION OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC INVARIABLY BROUGHT GREATER COMPLEXITY INTO MANAGEMENT AND ADMINSTRATION AND IT WAS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE BILL SOUGHT TO PROVIDE AN ENLARGEMENT OF THE GOVERNING BODY FROM 15 TO 23 MEMBERS.
HE SAID THE APPOINTMENT OF FOUR OF THESE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS, WHICH THE BILL SOUGHT TO RETITLE THE +COUNCIL OF THE POLYTECHNIC+, WOULD BE DRAWN FROM INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.
THIS WOULD INCREASE THE REPRESENTATION OF THE +PRIVATE SECTOR + BY 50 PER CENT.
+THIS WILL NOT ONLY PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER DIVERSIFY THE VARIETY OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE ON THE GOVERNING BODY. BUT WILL ALSO LIGHTEN THE MANAGERIAL BURDEN WHICH HAS BEEN IMPOSED UPON ALL TOO FEW MEMBERS IN THE PAST,+ HE SAID.
COMMENTING ON THE PROVISION WHICH WOULD ENABLE THE STAFF OF THE POLYTECHNIC TO ELECT THREE REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVE ON THE NEW COUNCIL, SIR 3.Y. CHUNG SAID ALTHOUGH THE POLYTECHNIC HAD APPROACHED THE QUESTION OF STAFF REPRESENTATION WITH SOME CAUTION, FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, TWO STAFF MEMBERS HAD BEEN IN REGULAR ATTENDANCE AT GOVERNOR BOARD MEETING.
+THERE IS EVERY INDICATION THAT THIS EXPERIMENT HAS BEEN A SUCCESS, HE STRESSED.
ANOTHER PROVISION OF THE AMENDING BILL GAVE STATUTORY RECOGNITION TO THE POLYTECHNIC'S INTERNAL ACADEMIC COMMITTEE WHICH, SIR S.Y. CHUNG SAID, WAS SIMILAR TO THE UNIVERSITIES' SENATES.
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BUT, HE SAID THE POLYTECHNIC'S FOREMOST COUNCIL OF TECHNOCRATS+ CALLED ITSELF THE +ACADEMIC BOARD+, AND HE HOPED IT WOULD FUNCTION +WITH A STABILITY AND PERPETUITY WHICH ITS ENSHRINEMENT IN THE ORDINANCE WILL HOPEFULLY BRING ABOUT+.
/CONCERNING THE LAST