25.
57 146
-3 aggravated by the fact that officers wish to go home in
the Spring,
irrespective of when they are actually due for
leave, and return in the autumn. As a result the department
is overstaffed in the winter, when very few officers are away
on leave, The Commissioners appreciate the desirability from
the health point of view of going home in the summer, but they
would point out that evory summer the teaching staff of the
Education Department receive eight weeks' leave, which enables
them to avoid the worst of the hot weather in Hong Kong. It
would be no great hardship to require them to take their home
leave when it became due, irrespective of the time of the year.
FRAINING AND STUDY LEAVE FOR BRITISH TEACHERS.
24
The Commissioners record with regret their disapproval
of the existing agreement whereby this Colony bears the
expense of a year's training in education in England for
University graduates after they have been appointed by the
Crown for service in Hong Kong. Such a scheme would seem to
be somewhat one-sided, unless the Government offered to refund
training fees to those candidates who, when they are appointed
by the Crown for service in Hong Kong, have already taken the
year's training course at their own expense. The Commissioners
consider that under no circumstances should the Hong Kong
Government finance the training of teachers in England in
preparation for service in Hong Kong.
25.
It has been observed that an officer of the Education
Department has recently been granted s tudy leave, and s tudy
fees wo to the maximum of £50. Presumably this study leave
will exceed in length the ordinary vacation leave. The
Jommissioners feel that if an Officer's services can be spared
for &tudy leave without incurring extra expense to the
CoVormiment in the employment of a temporary teacher for that
pasiod, then either the Department is over-staffed, OI the
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.