CO129-548-2 Vacancy for Director of Education 19-2-1934 - 11-10-1934 — Page 19

with Chinese life and language should not be regarded

as necessary for cadets alone.

18

19. The Government should also look ahead,

pick out from among men of about 10 or more years

service likely candidates in future for the Directors

post and see that they are given necessary adminis-

trative experience as Inspectors of Schools or in the

Director's office, so that the plea of lack of such

experience may not be in future a reason for the

appointment of a cadet.

13. I think there is undoubtedly a feeling in

Hong Kong, and probably in Malaya too, that it is

only cadets who can acquire the knack of getting on

with the other Departments and with the Secretariat

that a Director of Education certainly requires.

The Governments need, I think, a reminder that ex-

perience in other Colonies shows that educational

officers, if they are given proper chances and

necessary experience, have no difficulty in acquiring

this knack.

14.

Meanwhile, assuming that for some years

to come Hong Kong will necessarily have a Director

of Education who is either a cadet knowing little,

if anything, about education or an educational officer

with ideas and experience more or less restricted

to Hong Kong, I suggest the desirability of arrang-

ing for a general stocktaking of the local education

system by someone deputed for the purpose from this

country. What is wanted is someone with experience

of educational administration in a progressive

English borough or municipality. The Board of

Education could depute from their own staff or

select from the staff of a L.E.A. an excellent man

for the purpose. Mr. Mann, if he could be got,

would be pre-eminently suitable with his experience

in England, his experience as a member of the

Advisory Committee and his experience in Egypt and