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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1984
SITES FOR A POSSIBLE THIRD UNIVERSITY OR UNIVERSITY-STYLE INSTITUTION HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WOULD BE GIVING THEIR PRELIMINARY THOUGHT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPEN EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, SIR JOHN SAID.
+W1THOUT WISHING TO INTRUDE UPON THE SENSIBILITIES AND INDEPENDENCE OF THOSE BODIES ESTABLISHED TO ADVISE GOVERNMENT ON SUCH MATTERS, I URGE SUBVENTED EDUCATIONAL BODIES TO UNDERTAKE A CRITICAL SELF-EXAMINATION OF THEIR PRESENT SYSTEMS AND ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT PUBLIC FUNDS ARE SPENT TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE. LIKE GOVERNMENT IMPROVEMENT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE, SIR JOHN STRESSED.
+ INDEED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ARE CONSTANTLY SEEKING WAYS TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE BY INCREASED STAFF PRODUCTIVITY AND SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE SUBVENTED EDUCATIONAL SECTOR I AM SURE THAT SAVINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS ON A SCALE SIMILAR TO THOSE ACHIEVED BY THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE REAL ISABLE,+ HE SAID.
NOTING THAT 'VALUE FOR MONEY WAS THE RIGHT OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, SIR JOHN SAID CRITICAL SELF-EXAMINATION WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR THOSE INSTITUTES OF HIGHER LEARNING WHICH, ALTHOUGH FINANCIALLY DEPENDENT ON GOVERNMENT, HAD AUTONOMY TO MANAGE THEIR OWN AFFAIRS WITHIN THE LAW.
+THEIR ANNUAL BUDGETS ARE NOT APPROVED NOR EVEN SEEN BY THE GOVERNMENT, THE ASSUMPTION BEING THAT THEY CAN BEST UNDERTAKE THE WORK EXPECTED OF THEM BY THE COMMUNITY IF THEY HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND ACTION.+
SIR JOHN SAID THAT AS HE HAD BEEN ONCE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE, HE WAS FULLY
WHICH APPRECIATIVE OF THE MERITS OF THIS +HANDS-OFF+ APPROACH, HAD STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.
I WANT TO SEE +AS THE HARD-HEARTED FINANCIAL SECRETARY, INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AND THE BEST POSSIBLE VALUE-FOR-MONEY, + HE ADDED.
HE ALSO EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY REGARDING THE FUNDING OF RESEARCH.
+MANY LINKS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED LEADING TO PRODUCTIVE RESEARCH. MORE CAN AND OUGHT TO BE DONE.
+THOSE OF YOU GRADUATING TODAY HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS. +BOTH GOVERNMENT AND THE INSTITUTIONS VIEW THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF WORTHWHILE PROJECTS AS A PRIORITY OBJECTIVE AND AN ASSURE YOU THAT A MORE AGGRESSIVE PURSUIT OF PRIVATE DS WOULD BE WELCOMED BY THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED THAT IT ACCOMPANIED BY A CAREFUL APPRAISAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, + SIR JOHN SAID.
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