Page
Mr McLaren, Hong Kong & General Department
HKK 280/6
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 6 JUL 1978
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taan
CLE
57
LABOUR PARTY NEC INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE:
1.
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THE GOLDEN JUBILEE SCHOOL, HONG KONG
At the meeting of the International Committee which I attended as an observer today, Miss Joan Lestor MP raised the subject of the Golden Jubilee School. It is clear that Miss Lestor, together with other MPs with a knowledge of education and/or involved in teachers unions, such as Mr Martin Flannery, have been energetically lobbied recently on this subject.
2.
Basically, the teachers from Hong Kong who have been in Britain and have called on the MPs have said that after they exposed a fraud in the financial administration of the Golden Jubilee School they were victimised by the authorities. Apparently there were financial irregularities in many schools in Hong Kong and the authorities had no auditors who were able to conduct proper inspections. But the question had escalated further and, said Miss Lestor, what had begun as an issue of mal-administration had escalated into the trade union rights of the members of the teaching profession. Miss Lestor wanted to support the teachers and wished to propose a motion to come before · the Labour Party NEC later this month asking that the teachers should not be victimised and calling on the Government to produce all the facts in connection with this case.
3. After some discussion, the Committee agreed to express its concern and to ask the Secretary of State to provide the facts. told the Chairman of the International Committee, Mr Ian Mikardo, that Dr Owen would look into this matter immediately and write to him in the course of the next few days.
I
11 July 1978
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Mr Cortazzi
Mr Murray
Mr M Stewart
Wand Sünn
David Stephen Political Adviser
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