Page 16 of 139
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Whilst agreeing in principle that teachers should not be treated more favourably than other sections of the community, I hold that as the work they are doing is of the greatest importance to the Colony, they should be offered assistance in securing such living accommodation as is compatible with the nature of their work.
Teachers in Hong Kong today are entrusted with the task of educating approximately 350,000 children. If they live in uncongenial surroundings, as so many of them are at present doing, they will not be able to make a success of the work entrusted to them. Being dissatisfied with the realities they are facing, some of them might sow in the young minds seeds of discontent which will breed ideologies detrimental to the future of Hong Kong. On the other hand, if teachers are decently housed, the quality of their work is bound to improve, and the stabilizing influence which they will exert on so many members of the rising generation cannot but be beneficial to the future of Hong Kong.
I therefore avail myself of this opportunity to urge publicly the Housing Authority to take cognizance of the importance of the teachers' role in the life of the community, and to set aside certain portions of our future estates exclusively for them and their families. I further suggest that the allocation of flats to teachers should be done by the Hong Kong Teachers' Association, a highly respectable body of 24 years' standing, with a membership of 6,000 teachers, to be assisted by the Private Chinese Schools Association and the Private English Schools Association.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have pleasure in supporting your motion that the Statement of Progress and Policy tabled today be adopted by this Council. (Applause).
MR. P. D. Au :- Mr. Chairman, your motion before us in accepting the Statement of Progress and Policy of the Council and your platform to deal with the future activities is commendable, and this is the first time the Council has taken a definite step in presenting the many problems confronting us.
I have pleasure in supporting your motion wholeheartedly but I would suggest the incorporation of the following points in our future activities which I consider most essential. Before proceeding further, Mr. Chairman, I wish to say that although
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today is April Fool's Day, I hope that what I am about to state is given very serious consideration and not regarded as a mere conventional debate to air my views.
Your Statement on Progress and Policy covers practically all the important aspects of the Council's activities, so there is no need to touch on those points. However, I feel there is a significant factor that has been overlooked—that of Electoral Procedure. During the last Council year, meetings were held in committee of the Council to consider the Urban Council electoral procedure, and certain methods were introduced, and I hope will ultimately be adopted, to streamline the registration of voters and to exclude the "dead", the "duplicate", and the "invisible" voter. This would result in a more comprehensive voting list. Since most of those voters who received direct communication have in the past turned out en masse to vote, I believe that with this new voting list they will do the same and will therefore not be accused of apathy towards the Urban Council election. It is unfortunate to find that this work can hardly be called an achievement because many of our views expressed previously, such as the Ward system, increase of voters, and increase of Polling Stations were not considered. There is still time for us to go deeply into this very important question of finding a suitable electoral roll, which affects half of the unofficial seats in this Council, and what is more important, the rights of a citizen, that is, his privilege to have a voice in government.
Firstly, Government have acted wisely in allowing teachers to have a vote, and I personally endorse such a policy. Teachers who can vote form the greatest single block vote as compared with other sections of voters. Yet this Council hardly concerns itself with education. I therefore propose that either the Education Department should be brought under this Council, or the voters themselves should be allowed to vote for their representatives in their legislature. In other words, why single out teachers and then give the people for whom they vote no say in educational matters. The electoral roll must be widened and a proper cross-section of the community taking part in the election. This Council has already passed a motion recommending the appointment of a Commission or Committee to consider the enlargement of the electoral roll. Why has this been turned down? WHY?
Page 16 of 139
Page 16 of 139
12
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Whilst agreeing in principle that teachers should not be treated more favourably than other sections of the community, I hold that as the work they are doing is of the greatest importance to the Colony, they should be offered assistance in securing such living accommodation as is compatible with the nature of their work.
Teachers in Hong Kong today are entrusted with the task of educating approximately 350,000 children. If they live in un- congenial surroundings as so many of them are at present doing, they will not be able to make a success of the work entrusted to them. Being dissatisfied with the realities they are facing, some of them might sow in the young minds seeds of discontent which will breed ideologies detrimental to the future of Hong Kong. On the other hand, if teachers are decently housed, the quality of their work is bound to improve, and the stabilizing influence which they will exert on so many members of the rising generation cannot but be beneficial to the future of Hong Kong.
I therefore avail myself of this opportunity to urge publicly the Housing Authority to take cognizance of the importance of the teachers' role to the life of the community, and to set aside certain portions of our future estates exclusively for them and their families. I further suggest that the allocation of flats to teachers should be done by the Hong Kong Teachers' Association, a highly respectable body of 24 years' standing, with a membership of 6,000 teachers, to be assisted by the Private Chinese Schools Association and the Private English Schools Association.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have pleasure to support your motion that the Statement of Progress and Policy tabled today be adopted by this Council. (Applause).
MR. P. D. Au :-Mr. Chairman, your motion before us in accepting the Statement of Progress and Policy of the Council and your platform to deal with the future activities is commendable, and this is the first time the Council had taken a definite step in presenting the many problems confronting us.
I have pleasure in supporting your motion wholeheartedly but I would suggest the incorporation of the following points in our future activities which I consider most essential. Before proceeding further, Mr. Chairman, I wish to say that although
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
13
to-day is April Fool's Day, I hope that what I am about to state is given very serious consideration and not regarded as a mere conventional debate to air my views.
Your Statement on Progress and Policy covers practically all the important aspects of the Council's activities so there is no need to touch on those points. However, I feel there is a significant factor that has been overlooked-that of Electoral Procedure. During the last Council year, meetings were held in committee of the Council to consider the Urban Council electoral procedure, and certain methods were introduced, and I hope will ultimately be adopted, to streamline the registration of voters and to exclude the "dead", the "duplicate", and the "invisible" voter. This would result in a more comprehensive voting list. Since most of those voters that received direct communication have in the past turned out en masse to vote, I believe that with this new voting list they will do the same and will therefore not be accused of apathy towards the Urban Council election. It is unfortunate to find that this work can hardly be called an achieve- ment because many of our views expressed previously, as the Ward system, increase of voters, and increase of Polling Stations were not considered. There is still time for us to go deeply into this very important question of finding a suitable electoral roll, which affects half of the unofficial seats in this Council, and what is more important, the rights of a citizen, that is, his privilege to have a voice in government.
Firstly, Government have acted wisely in allowing teachers to have a vote, and I personally endorse such a policy. Teachers who can vote form the greatest single block vote as compared with other sections of voters. Yet this Council hardly concerns itself with education. I therefore propose that either the Education Department should be brought under this Council, or the voters themselves should be allowed to vote for their representatives in their legislature. In other words, why single out teachers and then give the people for whom they vote no say in educational matters. The electoral roll must be widened and a proper cross- section of the community taking part in the election. This Council has already passed a motion recommending the appoint- ment of a Commission or Committee to consider the enlargement of the electoral roll. Why this has been turned down? WHY?
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