13
i
Afterwards
After making telephone calls the Principal replied that her "superiors" þad
requested her to stand firm, hence she refused the priests' request. The
students were waiting outside the school premises for the result.
the students went in the school compound and sit in the playground for ten
minutes until the school day ended.
75.
On May 13, normal lessons were conducted
in school.
76-
On May 14, 1978, two Chinese morning newspapers reported that the Government
would close the School. At about 4 p.m. the same day (Sunday) the Education
Department callled a press conference. The Acting Director, Mr Bolvyn Haye,
announced his decision to close the School which would be reopened on Sept 1, 1978
as a new school renamed St. Teresa Secondary School. This new school would be
run by the Catholic Diocese with the same Principal, the same supervisor and
the same students. Twenty-five of the 41 current teachers will remain. The
contracts of the 16 teachers will not be renewed. The announcement also
mentioned that this act of the Education Department had the full support f
the Catholic Bishop, Bishop John Wu.
77. On May 15, 1978, teachers condemned the act of closing down the school as a
high-handed and irresponsible act of the Education Department. Many public
bodies including educational bodies, HK Christian Council, student bodies and
staff members of the universities denounced the act of the Education Department.
On the same day, 600 students, teachers and parents accompanied by a few
hundred of post-secondary students sent petition again to the Governor and
the Bishop. A mass rally was held in Hong Kong University on the issue where
over 1,000 students attended. The petitioners pledged an interview with the
Bishop but was refused. Thus the teachers, some student representatives and
some parents staged the sit-in and sleep-in outside the Bishop's House again.
78. On May 16, 1978, the Executive Council unanimously endorsed the closure of
the School, and set up an inquiry comiittee to investigate metho∞ é of
ensuring that such a situation would not arise again in public secondary schools.
The committee of inquiry consisted of three high officials holding government
post and was headed by the Vice-Chancellor of Hong Kong University.
On the same day, various groups including students' groups, educational groups,
teachers' groups, workers in the mass media, catholic laymen concern groups
and priests visited the petitioning students, teachers and parents expressing
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