TNAG-0054-FCO40-90-Proposal-for-a-Polytechnic-in-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 9

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UTE 205/81/04

The Development of Technical Education in Hong Kong

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1.

Attention has been given over the past year or two to the need for strengthening the provision for technical education in Hong Kong. This matter has been looked into, with the agreement of the Hong Kong Government, by the Hong Kong University Grants Committee, who formed the view that a new technical institution (referred to as a Polytechnic) was needed in Hong Kong. The question has recently been discussed in London between the Chairman and certain United Kingdom members of the Hong Kong University Grants Committee and officials and educational advisers of the Ministry of Overseas Development and the Commonwealth Office.

2. There seem to be three main reasons for the view formed by the Hong Kong University Grants Committee that a further institution may be needed in Hong Kong:-

3.

(a) The rapidly growing numbers of children who are and will increasingly be emerging from the secondary school system qualified for and seeking opportunities for further education.

(b) The feeling of commerce and industry in Hong Kong that more and differently trained people will be needed if Hong Kong is to move ahead or even keep abreast in a time of rapidly changing technology; although reliable estimates of manpower requirements have not yet been made available.

(c) The alleged inability or unwillingness of the Hong Kong Technical College and the University of Hong Kong to produce enough of the right kind of trained people.

The evidence presented by the Hong Kong University Grants Committee has in general substantiated the case for an expansion of the provision for technical education, though it must be said that the social case has been more closely defined than the economic one. It emerged from discussion that it was less clear exactly what form any expansion should take, e.g. whether it should comprise a completely new institution working at a somewhat higher level than the Technical College and with a clearly defined relationship to the latter; or a new institution based upon and absorbing the work of the present technical college and doing more higher level work; or a second technical college dealing with the same levels of work but specialising in certain areas, and leaving the present technical college to concentrate on other areas.

4. It was, however, agreed that the establishment of a new institution (which would be able to absorb only a fraction of the students who would be seeking further educational opportunities) would not in itself be an adequate solution. It would be necessary for the total educational provision to be considered in this connection to ensure that the maximum possible was done to provide education broadly orientated towards

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