THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1994
5
GOVERNOR: YES,
AND IT WOULD BE TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD IN THAT WAY AT WESTMINSTER WHICH HAS SOME CLAIM TO CALL ITSELF THE MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS. I WAS, AS YOU SAID, A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BEFORE I CAME TO THESE RESPONSIBILITIES AND IF SAY, A BILL PUT FORWARD BY THE GOVERNMENT, BY THE ADMINISTRATION, HAD BEEN COMPLETELY GUTTED OR HAD BEEN COMPLETELY TURNED ROUND DURING THE COURSE OF THE SECOND READING AND THE COMMITTEE STAGE, I HAVE NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT THE CHIEF WHIP WOULD HAVE ADVISED HIS COLLEAGUES, AND HIS ADVICE WAS ALWAYS RATHER MORE THAN THAT, TO VOTE AGAINST THE BILL AT THE END OF DISCUSSION. I'VE GOT NO DOUBT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I REPEAT THAT WE WOULD ALL HAVE MUCH PREFERRED IT IF WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO GO FORWARD AS WE NORMALLY DO ON THESE MATTERS IN A SPIRIT OF CONSENSUS ON WHAT I THINK IS GENERALLY REGARDED AS BEING AN IMPORTANT MEASURE OF LABOUR WELFARE REFORM. I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL, IT MAY REQUIRE MORE DISCUSSION BOTH WITH THE LAB AND WITH THOSE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHO HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN LABOUR WELFARE MATTERS. I HOPE WE CAN COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL SOON AND FIND A WAY OF PROCEEDING WHICH, AS IS USUALLY THE CASE, EVERYBODY CAN AGREE TO.
MR MAN SAI-CHEONG ( THROUGH INTERPRETER):
MR GOVERNOR, FREEDOM OF DATA AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HONG KONG IS NO EXCEPTION. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEEK AN EXPLANATION FROM YOU, MR GOVERNOR. RECENTLY, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION MR DOMINIC WONG SAID THAT THE HISTORY OF THE PAST 20 YEARS SHOULDN'T BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR TEXTBOOKS AND THIS HAD TO DO WITH THE WAY THE JUNE 4TH INCIDENT WAS COVERED IN OUR TEXTBOOKS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, CONCERNING THE HISTORY OF THE PAST 20 YEARS AND THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE IN OUR TEXTBOOKS, WHAT IS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT? AND CONCERNING THE FREEDOM OF ACADEMICS, WHETHER IT HAS CONTRAVENED THE ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND WHETHER IT HAS CONTRAVENED THE SPIRIT OF HUMAN RIGHTS THAT YOU HAVE PUBLICISED SO VERY OFTEN?
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I THINK
—
ATTEMPTING TO TAKE
Tww
AN
UNFORTUNATE
THE GOVERNOR :
HEAT OUT OF AN IMPORTANT ISSUE I THINK THAT IT HAS BEEN THE CASE IN RECENT YEARS THAT THOSE WHO GIVE ADVICE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CURRICULUM HAVE TAKEN THE VIEW, BROADLY SPEAKING, THAT THE LAST 20 YEARS SHOULDN'T FEATURE AS HISTORY BUT AS PERHAPS CIVIC EDUCATION.
NOW, BECAUSE OF THE CONTROVERSY THAT'S BLOWN UP IN THIS CASE CONTROVERSY WE'VE ASKED THOSE WHO ADVISE US ON THESE MATTERS TO LOOK AGAIN. I HAVE TO SAY THAT THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION THAT THE PRINCIPLE WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER ENUNCIATES IS THE RIGHT ONE. WE CAN'T AS I'VE SAID IN THE PAST WE CAN'T ERASE FACTS FROM HISTORY. WE CAN'T 'SNOWPAKE' OUT THOSE BITS OF HISTORY THAT WE'D LIKE TO REMOVE. I HAVE TO SAY, SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, THAT THERE ARE PARTS OF MY CAREER WHICH I'D QUITE LIKE TO 'SNOWPAKE' OUT BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE WIDELY REGARDED AS ACCEPTABLE.
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IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALL TEACHERS, WHETHER OF UNIVERSITY AGE CHILDREN OR OF SCHOOLCHILDREN, SHOULD RECOGNISE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO ENSURE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT THE TRUTH AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF FORMING THEIR OWN JUDGMENTS AS THEY GROW UP BASED ON THE TRUTH RATHER THAN DISTORTION OF THE TRUTH.
I THINK THERE IS SOME DISPUTE ABOUT HOW FAR HISTORY SHOULD GO WHEN IT IS BEING TAUGHT. I STUDIED HISTORY AT UNIVERSITY AND I HAVE TO TELL THE COUNCIL IN THE SPIRIT OF HUMILITY THAT I KNOW VERY LITTLE AFTER 1215.
/MR MAN