Reference
75
Enclirure Envelope (W 7H4
D
74
Mr Quan
Quantrizi
Mr McLaren
CONFIDENTIAL
%
HKK 280/6 RECEIVED IN REGRARY NO. 51
-
- 6 NOV 1978
DESK OF CER INDEX
RECOTRY
PA
Action
on
05
GOLDEN JUBILEE SCHOOL DISPUTE
1. We have received the final report of the Committee of Inquiry chaired by Dr Huang, together with the memorandum submitted to EXCO.
2. I am very impressed by the reasonable and intelligent attitude adopted by the Committee in making its inquiries. They have obviously gone to a great deal of trouble and listened carefully to both sides. Unlike the two protagonists in the dispute the Committee has been willing to accept that not all the blame lies with one side.
the
3. To some extent recommendations of this report are of less significance than those of the Committee's interim report, which very successfully defused the dispute. Nevertheless I believe that these recommendations are important and I am particularly impressed by the views expressed in paragraph 57 of the report.
4. I am much less impressed by the EXCO memorandum. It gives me the impression of considerable self-satisfaction on the part of the Education Department, an emotion which in my view is not justified by the Committee's findings. There is also the suggestion in the memorandum that the Education Department retain their "Reds under the bed" attitude.
5. Having said this however the public reaction of the Hong Kong Government as suggested in the memorandum, and agreed by EXCO on 17 October, seems to me to be exactly right. I see no point therefore in taking issue with Hong Kong on any points nor do I see any need to submit the report. I believe that the affair is now
over.
CODE 18-77
31 October 1978
Juccupien
J Thompson
Hong Kong & General Dept
Since As Thompson dictated the above, we have discussed and agreed that we should submit the report once we have
reactions to it in Hong Kong. Otherwise
an indication
of react
CONFIDENTIAL
agree
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.