TNAG-0534-FCO40-629-UK-aid-to-Hong-Kong-Polytechnic-and-technical-institutions-1975 — Page 91

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(2)

The Lecturer salary grade is insufficient especially at the lower levels. There is no sidestepping this issue, dealt with

elsewhere in this report and it is going to be a severe

handicap in recruitment.

(3) The Polytechnic is ungenerous and too rigid about leave :

Local leave is confined to the 26 public holidays a year, many of which fall on a Saturday. The staff say that after working at high pressure during the summer term, when the climate is very hot and humid, they are in need of a break during the "period of low academic activity" before the

new session starts in September, but although some of them

have very little to do, they are not allowed to take local

vacations. The atmosphere on this question is further

soured by the discovery on arrival in Hong Kong that the

52 days end-of-contract leave, assumed to be working days as

in Britain, are in fact calender days, significantly lessening

the entitlement. There would certainly appear to be a case

for a better leave entitlement less rigidly applied, but the Board of Governors, which is commercially orientated, is

unsympathetic.

(4) It is complained that there are 40 students in classes with a

minimal drop-out rate and the class rooms too crowded. The

staff claim that this makes satisfactory teaching impracticable

(5) Hours of work. In addition to class contact hours similar

to those in Britain, it was said that no allowance was made in respect of evening classes and administrative duties.

there were liabilities on Saturdays. Unfortunately, I was

insufficiently familiar with conditions in Britain effectively

to discuss or judge these claims.

of

Also

Apart from the above there was a multitude other grievances ranging from trivia to minor irritations which in a somewhat emotional atmosphere engendered by items (1) - (3)

combined with a lack

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of leadership from the Directorate and a controversy as to the status

of the Staff Association, had been blown up to an artificially inflated

extent. I was informed that 80% of newly recruited staff had

refused to sign their contracts, that there would be a massive return

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