XN000022-1976-10-13 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1976

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MR. MORGAN POINTED OUT THAT SOME HAD CONTENDED THAT THE CORRECT ENVIRONMENT FOR THIS COMING OF AGE TO TAKE PLACE WAS WITHIN A SMALLER INSTITUTION THAN ONE THE SIZE OF THE UNIVERSITY AND, BY INTENSE STUDY WITHIN A RESTRICTED CIRCLE OF TEACHERS AND FELLOW STUDENTS, FUTURE LEADERS COULD BEST BE PRODUCED.

HOWEVER, HE SAID HOT-HOUSE PLANTS RARELY SURVIVE THE RIGOURS OF LIFE OUTSIDE TO BECOME STURDY AND VIGOROUS.+

+1 DOUBT WHETHER FUTURE LEADERS OF OUR COMMUNITY CAN DEVELOP IN CLOISTERED ACADEMIC SOCIETIES, IN CIRCLES DEVOTED TO THE PURSUIT OF A SOLITARY ACADEMIC GOAL.

+WE NEED HIGHLY TRAINED SPECIALISTS CERTAINLY, BUT UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION FLOURISHES IN DIVERSITY AND UNDERGRADUATES LEARN MUCH FROM EACH OTHER.

+ANY ORGANISATION WHICH SEEKS TO SEGREGATE STUDENTS IN

ONE BRANCH OF STUDY FROM THOSE IN ANOTHER OR TO DIVIDE A

UNIVERSITY STUDENT BODY INTO SMALL ELEMENTS, IS SURELY RETROGRADE.+

+HONG KONG, HE SAID, +NEEDS MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE DEVEOPED PERSONAL ASSOCIATES WITH UNDERGRADUATE COLLEAGUES IN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES SO THAT THEIR HORIZONS ARE WIDENED AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT FULLER.+

MR. MORGAN SAID THAT AFTER CAREFULLY WEIGHING THE ISSUES, GOVERNMENT HAD ACCEPTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION IN PRINCIPLE AND WHEN THE REPORT WAS PUBLISHED, IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A STATEMENT TO THIS EFFECT, THE STATEMENT ALSO SAID THAT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN THE COUNCIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO UNDERESTIMATE THE RADICAL CHANGE IN THE UNIVERSITY ORGANISATION WHICH THIS BILL, IF ENACTED, WOULD CAUSE.

HE CONTINUED: +AND IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO ADMIT THAT EVERYONE IN THE UNIVERSITY IS HAPPY WITH THE CHANGE.

+SOME WILL FEEL A SENSE OF LOSS WHEN, PERHAPS, THEIR OWN PARTICULAR ROLE IN THE UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE IS TAKEN OVER BY SOMEONE ELSE. SOME FEEL THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT AND ACADEMIC ORGANISATION ARE APPROPRIATE AND SHOULD ENDURE.

+BUT HAVING FOLLOWED ALL THE ARGUMENTS WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY AND TAKEN THE BEST ADVICE, GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS THAT CHANGES HAVE TO BE MADE.+

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