XN000022-1978-05-29 — Page 2

MONDAY, MAY 29, 1978

ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY LIKENS POLYTECHNIC

TO SELF-CONTAINED TOWNSHIP

******

THE ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY, MR. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, THIS EVENING LIKENED THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC TO A TOWNSHIP.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE COMMUNITY CENTRE AT THE POLYTECHNIC, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID OUT OF THE METAPHORICAL ASHES OF THE OLD HONG KONG TECHNICAL COLLEGE HAD ARISEN, IN EFFECT, A NEW TOWNSHIP AND LIKE THE NEW STYLE HOUSING ESTATES, IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE AS SELF-CONTAINED AS POSSIBLE.

*

TC HAVE 32,000 PEOPLE EY 1980-81 ON A SITE SO PHYSICALLY RESTRICTED AND BOUNDED BY FOUR MAIN ROADS WAS NO MEAN ACHIEVEMENT, DR. HADDON-CAVE SAID.

HE SAID THERE WAS AN ANALOGY TO BE DRAWN BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE AS A CAMPUS AND THE WAY THE PROBLEM OF PEOPLE+ GENERALLY HAD HAD TO BE TACKLED IN THE 1950S AND 1960S WITHIN THE CONFINED SPACE OF HONG KONG AS A WHOLE.

+THERE IS AN ANALOGY, TOO, BETWEEN THE EMERGENCE OF THIS COMMUNITY CENTRE AND THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY IN THE 1970S,+ MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID.

HE SAID SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG HAD ALREADY SPOKEN OF THE IMPORTANT ROLE WHICH THE FACILITIES OF THE POLYTECHNIC WOULD PLAY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CORPORATE SPIRIT IN THE CAMPUS LIFE OF THE POLYTECHNIC, AND HE WAS CLEARLY RIGHT.

+AND | AGREE WITH HIM THAT THIS CENTRE SHOULD BE SEEN AS FACILITATING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STUDENTS AND STUDENTS AND BETWEEN STAFF AND STUDENTS. IN THIS DAY AND AGE, PARTICULARLY, THIS IS TO BE WELCOMED. I HOPE THE CENTRE WILL BE USED IMAGINATIVELY FOR THIS PURPOSE AND WITH TOLERANCE. IT DESERVES TO BE- AND I AK SURE IT WILL BE.+

MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID THAT SINCE ITS INCEPTION THE POLYTECHNIC HAD BEEN SEEN BY ALL CONCERNED, OFFICIALS AND UNOFFICIALS ALIKE. AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TOTAL EFFORT TO MEET ITS CONTINUING OBLIGATIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF PEOPLE+.

+BY THE LATE 1960S, WE WERE ABLE TO AFFORD SOMEHTING BIGGER AND BETTER THAN THE HONG KONG TECHNICAL COLLEGE, WHICH FORMERLY OCCUPIED THE SITE OF THIS CAMPUS, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID.

+SO THE POLYTECHNIC PLANNING COMMITTEE DEVELOPED A BLUE-PRINT FOR AN INSTITUTION WHICH WOULD SUPPLY THE ECONOMY AND THE COMMUNITY WITH THE SKILLED MAN AND WOMAN POWER TO SUPPORT OUR INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.+

THE COMMITTEE BEGAN WORK IN MAY, 1969, AND SUBMITTED ITS FINAL REPORT TWO YEARS LATER. IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC HAD OPENED ITS DOORS TO STUDENTS.

/+A GREAT FAL