TNAG-0054-FCO40-90-Proposal-for-a-Polytechnic-in-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 91

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UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

CHELSBA COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Manresa Road LONDON. S.W.3.

6th March 1968

Dear Michael,

They

I am sorry for the delay in writing to you about the draft submission to the Governor on the polytechnic. I have been awaiting the outcome of a meeting on a somewhat related subject which I attended yesterday under the auspices of the Nuffield Foundation where there was an informal discussion on technical and technological education in developing countries, The discussion was aimed more at Africa and other places less developed than Hong Kong but from some of the remarks made by the representatives of the Ministry of Overseas Development it was clear that they had views on the Hong Kong proposals. I also got the impression afterwards in discussion with John Gaylor and Frank Dunnill of the O.D.M. that they will be submitting a report to the Hong Kong Government. have come to the same conclusion with regard to the need for further technical education but their recommendation will be to up-grade the technical college and to develop the technical institutes for the more elementary work of the technical college. I gave our reasons for discarding this proposal but I do not think they were convinced. I still feel that our proposal for a new polytechnic is sound but in our submission to the Government we must make it clear that we are fully aware of the needs for other developments in technical education, particularly at the more elementary level, and that our recommendation for the polytechnic was aimed at fulfilling the need for middle and higher level vocationally-trained people up to university pass degree standard. Without adequate provision for the more elementary types of technical and commercial education our polytechnic would be pointless. I think we made this case fully in previous submissions but it is such an important matter than I think we should refer more specifically to it again. With regard to the rest of the submission I think you have done a very good job. The financial estimates must be in the nature of guess work to some extent but I certainly could not suggest any improvement on what you have done.

With kind regards,

M.A.R.Herries Esq., OBB., University Grants Committee, 39 Queen's Road Central, HONG KONG,

Yours sincerely,

(sg) Malcolm

PS: I have the feeling the O.D.M. will suggest another

Commission on technical education.