TNAG-0799-FCO40-1003-Dispute-over-closure-of-Precious-Blood-Golden-Jubilee-Second-1978 — Page 86

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28.

The

We understand that the appointment of an Education

Department official on the Management Committee of the School,

whilst not unprecedented, was nonetheless a rare step taken

only in exceptional circumstances. In view of the disclosure

of financial mismanagement, it was not unreasonable for the

Education Department, at that point in time, to concentrate

its attention on financial matters in the School.

Education Department official, Mr. P.C. Fung, appointed to

the Management Committee, however, could well have acquainted

himself with the background leading to the disclosure and

the events which followed. It was unfortunate that he did

not do this, or having done so failed to apprise his superiors

in the Department. We were given to understand that he

visited the school premises only once during the entire

period when he was a member of the Management Committee

and that was not until the 10th June 1977, the second day

of the students' sit-in at the School. Thus, whatever

information and views concerning the situation the Department

had were apparently obtained from only one source, i.e. the

Precious Blood Congregation. As a result of this limited

in-put, the Education Department did not take sufficient

cognizance of the following vital factors:

(a)

To the teachers and most of the students in

the School, financial mismanagement was not

only a legal issue, but far more important for them,

a moral one as well;

(b) Irrespective of motives, the act of exposing

financial irregularities, per se, cannot be

regarded as wrongful;

/(c)

....