CO129-510-14 Report of committee of enquiry into discrepancies and losses in government departments in Hong Kong... 21-4-1928 - 24-10-1928 — Page 29

be :-

- 5

29

One Officer on scale £250 - £15

-

£385;

Two Chinese clerks on scale $450 - $50- $850;

making an approximate total of $5,000 per annum.

SECTION IV.

EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT.

1. Weconsider that the system of accounting and general office administration of the Education Department should be radically changed. It anpears

to us that the Educational Staff in the schools

should be set free from responsibility for the collection of school fees, involving at times the safe keeping of large sums of money until payment is made into the Bank, the disbursement of moneys in connexion with school expenses and the general work of accounting and supervision of funds, in order that they may be enabled to devote their time to educations 1 work proper. We consider therefore

that all school fees should be collected and all

accounts paid either at the central office or at local offices under the direct administration of the central office, this being in keeping with what we understand to be the established practice in many parts of England. Similarly we consider that officers specially trained for educational work are not required to superintend the details of administration and finance in the Central office. Such duties, which include accounting and issue of stores as well as purely clerical matters such as the

calculation