XN000022-1984-07-24 — Page 11

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1934

9

-

NEED FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM STRESSED

****

IT WAS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY, NOW AND IN FUTURE, TO PROTECT ACADEMIC FREEDOM, THE HON MRS RITA FAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY TUESDAY).

IT HAD ALSO TO ALLOCATE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION, AND TO REFRAIN CONSCIENTIOUSLY FROM POLITICAL INTERFERENCE AND INDOCTRINATION, SHE SAID.

SHE WAS SPEAKING AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON SOCIAL SYSTEM AND THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

+ONLY WITH SUCH FREEDOM, CAN OUR STUDENTS BE EXPOSED TO DIFFERENT IDEAS, MATERIALS, ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS WHICH CUT ACROSS GEOGRAPHICAL, RACIAL AND POLITICAL BARRIERS AND THUS, DEVELOP TOLERANT AND UNDERSTANDING ATTITUDES TO OPPOSING VIEWS, SHE SAID.

+ IN THIS WAY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO RETAIN THE HETEROGENEOUS OR RATHER COSMOPOLITAN, CHARACTERISTIC OF OUR CITIZENS, WHO CAN LIVE IN HARMONY AND PURSUE THE COMMON OBJECTIVE OF 'STABILITY' AND 'FREEDOM',+ SHE ADDED.

PROSPERITY'

IN HONG KONG, SHE SAID, THERE WAS AN EXISTING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE.

SHE SAID THAT THE UPGC WAS AN INDEPENDENT BODY CONSISTING OF DISTINGUISHED ACADEMICS FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND WELL KNOWN LOCAL FIGURES WHICH WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION CONFIRMED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS RELATIONSHIP AND THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION MADE BY UPGC WHICH WAS NOT PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, SHE SAID.

+THE SYSTEM HAS WORKED, AND THERE IS EVERY REASON FOR IT TO

BE MAINTAINED AND DEVELOPED, SHE SAID.

THE EXTENT OF HONG KONG'S ACADEMIC FREEDOM, SHE SAID, WAS ALSO REFLECTED BY THE FACT THAT THERE WERE SCHOOLS PROMOTING DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, PHILOSOPHIES, AND EVEN POLITICAL

IDEOLOGIES.

+ I SEE VALUE IN PRESERVING THIS FREEDOM, BECAUSE IT IS THE ESSENCE FOR DEVELOPING AN OPEN AND TOLERANT ATTITUDE AMONG HONG KONG PEOPLE WHICH FORMS THE BASIS FOR A STABLE AND HARMONIOUS SOCIETY.

+MOREOVER, ACADEMIC FREEDOM ENSURES BETTER INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND MOTIVATION OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ACHIEVE HIGHER STANDARD AND QUALIFICATIONS, WHICH WILL EQUIP THEM TO CONTRIBUTE MORE EFFECTIVELY TOWARDS THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, SHE SAID.

/10