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SUNDAY, MAY 14, 1978
MOREOVER, MR. HAYE ADDED, SENIOR INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS WHO HAD BEEN AT PRECIOUS BLOOD HAD CONFIRMED THAT MOST OF THE GIRLS LF · IDDLE 2 TO 4 CLASSES, WHO HAD RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL EARLIER II. THE WEEK AT THE INSISTENCE OF THEIR PARENTS, HAD REFUSED NSTRUCTION. THEY WERE DEFIANT, HOSTILE AND ABUSIVE, DESPITE THE 13TRATIONS OF TEACHERS WHO HAD STUCK TO THEIR POSTS. T-ESE POOR TEACHERS, R. HAYE SAID, WERE AT THE END OF THEIR TETHER AND PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTED BY THE STRAIN OF TURBANCES AT THE SCHOOL. OST OF THEM DOUBTED THEIR ABILITY TO FACE THE TROUBLE THEY ERE CERTAIN WOULD COME .ITH THE RETURN OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WHO HAD SO OPENLY DEMONSTRATED THEIR CONTEMPT OF SCHOOL AUTHORITY.
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+THINGS HAVE BEEN BAD AT THE SCHOOL, + MR. HAYE SAID. +THEY HAVE GOT WORSE, AND THEY ILL NOT GET BETTER. THE ARENA OF CONFLICT HAS BEEN THE SCHOOL. IT OVED TO CARITAS HOUSE LAST WEEK, AND
CW IT HAS RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL. I CANNOT LET THIS SORRY AND DANGEROUS STATE OF AFFAIRS CONTINUE.+
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS HAD RAISED A NUMBER OF PRETEXTS FOR THE IF REJECTION OF SCHOOL AUTHORITY, MR. HAYE COMMENTED. LAST YEAR IT HAD BEEN THE MISMANAGEMENT OF SCHOOL FUNDS, DESPITE THE PROMPT ACTION TAKEN BY THE SCHOOL MANAGERS TO REPORT TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WHICH HAD CO ENDED ZEFORE TEACHERS LODGED OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS, THE GLOSEQUENT PUNISHMENT OF A PREVIOUS PRINCIPAL AND REGULARISATION .F THE SCHOOL BOOKS, THEN IT HAD BEEN TEACHING CONTRACTS WHICH MHC LEC TO SIT-INS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT TEACHERS HAD ACCEPTED THOSE CONTRACTS. MORE RECENTLY IT HAD BEEN ALLEGATIONS OF THE SEARCHING OF SCHOOL BAGS, ALLEGATIONS OF UNFAIR LETTERS OF WARNING AND SUSPENSION, AND, FINALLY, ALLEGATIONS OF ASSAULT. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LATTER, WHICH WAS IN THE HANDS OF THE POLICE, 18. HAYE SAID, CAREFUL STUDY OF THE FACTS CONFIRMED THAT THE CLAINS WERE PRETEXTS FOR ANARCHY. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE FELT THERE WAS NO SENSIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL.
THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION SAID THAT THROUGHOUT THE 190-LATION OF TROUBLE BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, HE HAD BEE! IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE SCHOOL SUPERVISOR AND MANAGERS, AT EMERGENCY
EETINGS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY (MAY 12 - 13) THERE HAD BEEN UNANIMOUS SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSAL AND FINAL DECISION TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF HONG KONG HAD BEEN KEPT INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENTS AND CONSULTED BEFORE THE DECISION, WHICH HE NOW ENDORSED.
+HEN THE SCHOOL REOPENS ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1978, IT WILL BE TO A FRESH START UNDER A NEW SPONSOR AND ITH A NEW NAME,+ PR. HAYE CONCLUDED.
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