54
35.
Mr. Sless said he would not like to countenance any depreciation of Chinese universities. When one considered what they had achieved in the most difficult times, it was one of the wonders of educational history. The best of them were remarkable.
36. Dr. Venn wondered whether the Committee could make up their minds in the absence of further factual information. Personally, he thought they could.
37. Mr. Sloss said there was the question as to whether there was likely to be a sufficient number of new entrants adequately qualified to justify a beginning as early as September, 1946.
38.
Dr. Vean asked whether that did not depend on knowledge that the university would resume.
39. Dr. Priestley thought that it was out of the question to re-open the university in 1946; 1947 was the earliest possible date.
40.
41.
Professor Hinton agreed: to 1947.
Mr. Sloss said that was his position.
The history
of the University had been a history of makeshifts. did not want to press the Committee.
42.
But he
Dr. Friestley put the suggestion that it might be better to pay for students to go to Chinese universities for a year rather than start to: soen.
43.
Mr. Sloss said that unfortunately the Chinese universities were themselves in a state of turmoil and confusion at present.
44.
Mr. Smith said any promise to re-open the university would have a substantial effect on secondary education in the Colony. They had to get the schools up to a certain standerd; the university was an added incentivo. But he hoped that the education of the Colony would not depend on any promise of a university education at the end.
45. The Chairman believed that if they telegraphed an enquiry now they would probably receive an inflated estimate in view of the number of people anxious that the university should be started, as soon as possible. He expressed the opinion that if only in relation to the engagement of staff, they could not advise starting in September 1946. If that was the Committee's view, they should be rather cautious about encouraging the return of optimistic estimates. Could they formulate provisionally their wishes, as a result of the discussion, with regard to the broad central issue of re-starting the University of Hong Kong with the general purpose envisaged by the Founder, and at the next meeting consider the main categories of difficulties or objections to that course the financial aspect, the political complication of Malaya, etc., that had come up during the present meeting. Was it the view of the Committee that they could safely defer till the next meeting the question of telegraphing to Hong Kong?
/46.
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