WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1983
KENNETH TOPLEY PRAISED FOR SERVICE TO HK
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THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR KENNETH TOPLEY, WILL LEAVE THE GOVERNMENT NEXT WEEK AFTER SERVING HONG KONG FOR 28 YEARS.
AT A RECEPTION HELD IN HIS HONOUR TODAY, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID MR TOPLEY HAD MADE NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS DURING HIS SERVICE.
NOTING THAT MR TOPLEY HAD SERVED IN A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, SIR PHILIP SAID HIS SERVICE IN THE FIELDS OF STATISTICS AND EDUCATION HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY NOTABLE.
+MR TOPLEY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CENSUS AND STATISTICS AND OF THE STATISTICAL WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT, SIR PHILIP SAID.
IN EDUCATION, HE HAD MADE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND ORGANISATION, SAID SIR PHILIP ADDING THAT MR TOPLEY HAD SERVED WITH DISTINCTION AS A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
SIR PHILIP SAID MR TOPLEY HAD ALSO MADE A NOTABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARTS IN HONG KONG THROUGH HIS CHAIRMANSHIP AND TREASURERSHIP OF THE FILM SOCIETY OF HONG KONG (STUDIO ONE), AND THROUGH HIS EFFORTS LEADING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MUSIC OFFICE IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
+ IN ADDITION TO THE INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS HE HAS MADE, HIS CAREER HAS BEEN DISTINGUISHED BY A CONTINUING ATTENTION TO HUMAN RELATIONS ON THE JOB AND TO STAFF DEVELOPMENT.+
SIR PHILIP JOINED A LARGE GATHERING OF SECRETARIES FROM VARIOUS BRANCHES AND OTHER SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AT THE RECEPTION IN WISHING MR AND MRS TOPLEY A LONG AND ACTIVE RETIREMENT.
MR TOPLEY STARTED HIS CAREER WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AS A CADET OFFICER CLASS 11 IN NOVEMBER 1955 AFTER SERVICE IN HER MAJESTY'S FORCES AND IN THE MALAYAN CIVIL SERVICE. HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER IN 1959 AND TO ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER STAFF GRADE C THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AFTER A SERIES OF PROMOTIONS, HE WAS APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION IN 1974. IN 1980 HE WAS APPOINTED AS A SECRETARY IN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, CHAIRING THE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW POST-SECONDARY AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, BEFORE HEADING THE THEN EDUCATION BRANCH IN 1981, HE HAS HELD THE POST OF SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER SINCE FEBRUARY THIS YEAR WHEN THE POST OF SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION WAS RETITLED.
/MR POPLEY