TNAG-0176-FCO40-212-Brief-on-communist-controlled-schools-for-Lord-Shepherd-s-vi-1969 — Page 98

CONFIDENTIAL

6. The Governor reported at the middle of September that there was no sign of any further schools being planned by the communists who appeared to have reached their target for the current year. He also stated that while apprehension was widespread the pressure on the Government to take action was sporadic and not too rapidly mounting. In these circumstances and because of the arguments referred to in paragraph 5 above the Governor was asked to avoid if possible taking any of the measures that he had in mind until there had been an opportunity of discussing the whole matter with him in London.

7. The measures which the Governor has under consideration are as follows :~

(a)

the opening of additional Government schools in areas where gaps exist which could be exploited by new communist schools. The opening of additional Government schools is obviously desirable and the Governor is already proceeding with this measure.

This must, however, be more of a long term approach to the problem. Although there is very little prospect of attracting the children of hard core communist families away from communist to non-communist schools, this measure would at least help to prevent the reverse from happening;

(b) tightening up the Education Ordinance. This Ordinance

possesses certain deficiencies and is currently under review with a view to its amendment and strengthening. However, there is a danger that improved powers under the Ordinance might lead to public demands that it be enforced against communist schools to an extent that would be impolitic;

(c) many communist schools operate in three sessions -

morning, afternoon and night. It might be possible for the Director of Education to refuse all further applications for night primary schools (which are attended in the main by young adults) on the grounds that the adult education section can now meet the need for this kind of education - which it could do with no very great expansion;

(a) tightening up the criteria applied to school premises

before registration is permitted. For example, all secondary schools could be required to be so housed as to offer a full and balanced education. This could be done on the grounds that the time had now passed when the need for almost any kind of school was so urgent that great latitude was acceptable.

8. All the above measures, if on examination they proved practicable and desirable, would be applied to schools generally and without discrimination against communist schools. They would, however, tend to hit communist schools harder than others. Apart from the above action, the only other steps that could be taken against any particular school would need to be based on the individual circumstances of each case.

CONFIDENTIAL

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