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Council. His presence is required not only to answer criticism voiced in our annual debates but questions which, we hope, we would be able in future to raise in our monthly meetings. I have in mind the proposal of the Standing Orders and Procedure Select Committee to amend Standing Order 8 to permit any question being asked if the sanction of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council had been obtained. However, questions on the important subject of education will serve little purpose if the Director himself is not present to answer them and to deal with supplementary questions which often are necessary for the original question to be thoroughly answered. The unanimous proposal of the Standing Orders and Procedure Select Committee to permit questions to be raised on matters outside our scope is a step in the right direction for the Council to expand gradually its activities.
I therefore urge that all my colleagues, both official and unofficial, lend their support to this very important motion now before us.
(At this point MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG left the meeting)
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI :----Mr. Chairman, on the Reform Club platform under Education, we have said that the Urban Council should have a non-Government representative on the Education Advisory Board. I think that it would be a better way of going about what is meant to be achieved by this motion at the present time as outlined by the proposer's speech, almost an election gambit, but nevertheless I agree with his criticisms. As local councils should have council schools and in the hope that the Standing Orders will be amended so as to provide for greater freedom in asking questions of Officials, I personally am going to support this motion.
DR. P. F. Woo:-Mr. Chairman, I support Mr. CHEONG-LEEN'S motion that the Director of Education should sit in this Urban Council. The Education Department is a most important Government department, for it is charged with the duty of educating our local youths who will be our citizens of to-morrow, and its policies are of as much interest to the Urban Council as to the Legislative Council. This does not mean that we advocate the Director of Education should seek this Council's advice in his educational policies. But we do feel that if the Director of Education could be made one of us in this Council, we could, through private discussions with him when we meet every month, bring him into closer contact with the public. To make myself more clear: at present if we want anything discussed with the Director of Education (or indeed with any other Government department) we must either write, or ring up for an appointment. Very often, it may take weeks before a reply comes, and sometimes no reply comes at all, while an appointment has to be made many days ahead. This procedure discourages us from contacting the Director of any department who takes no seat in this Council. On the other hand, if the Director of Education could be with us when we have our monthly meetings, he would come into contact with Members of this Council, many of whom take an active interest in educational policies and know the needs of our community. For instance, I myself have very close contact with headmasters and teachers of local schools, whether Government, subsidized, or private, and I learn from them the many practical problems that confront them as a result of the Government's educational policies. By private discussions with Urban Council Members in an informal manner, the Director of Education might find that he could gain valuable information about local educational problems.
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no seat in this Council. On the other hand, if the Director of Education could be with us when we have our monthly meetings, he would come into contact with Members of this Council, many of whom take an active interest in educational policies and know the needs of our community. For instance, I myself have very close contact with headmasters and teachers of local schools, whether Government, subsidized, or private, and I learn from them the many practical problems that confront them as a result of the Government's educational policies. By private discussions with Urban Council Members in an informal manner, the Director of Education might find that he could gain valuable information about local educational problems.
If one argues that because education is not the direct concern of this Urban Council, the Director of Education should not be made a member, then I must say I do not see how the work of other official members here has anything to do with the Council except the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services, and yet I think his presence here has been of great benefit to himself as well as to the Council. In fact, it would be more advantageous for all Government departmental heads to be represented on this Council and be prepared to answer any questions or supplementary questions put to them. This would create better understanding between each Government department and the public.
For the reasons mentioned above, in view of the fact that the Education Department plays a very important role in the progress of our community, I strongly urge that the Director of Education should be given a seat in this Council. I have great pleasure in supporting Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's motion.
DR. A. M. S. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, since of all the Councils in this Colony I consider this Urban Council, or as it should be known, this City Council, to be the most important, and since it is the only one with elected representation it is the most indispensable, outspoken, and useful, and since I consider that it must inevitably develop into a proper Municipal Council controlling council schools, council housing, city transport and city hospitals, I must support the motion that the Director of Education be legislated for as a member of this Council. But, of course, I also think that the Commissioner for Housing, the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Medical and Health Services should equally be legislated for too as members of this Council.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I lend support to Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN's rather limited motion. (Laughter).
MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK:-Mr. Chairman, I rise to support with pleasure the motion and would like to say a few words thereon.
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Council. His presence is required not only to answer criticism voiced in our annual debates but questions which, we hope, we would be able in future to raise in our monthly meetings. I have in mind the pro- posal of the Standing Orders and Procedure Select Committee to amend Standing Order 8 to permit any question being asked if the sanction of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council had been obtained. However, questions on the important subject of education will serve little purpose if the Director himself is not present to answer them and to deal with supplementary questions which often are necessary for the original question to be thoroughly answered. The unanimous proposal of the Standing Orders and Procedure Select Committee to permit ques- tions to be raised on matters outside our scope is a step in the right direction for the Council to expand gradually its activities.
I therefore urge that all my colleagues, both official and unofficial, lend their support to this very important motion now before us.
(At this point MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG left the meeting)
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI :----Mr. Chairman, on the Reform Club plat- form under Education, we have said that the Urban Council should have a non-Government representative on the Education Advisory Board. I think that it would be a better way of going about what is meant to be achieved by this motion at the present time as outlined by the proposer's speech, almost an election gambit, but nevertheless I agree with his criticisms. As local councils should have council schools and in the hope that the Standing Orders will be amended so as to provide for greater freedom in asking questions of Officials, I personally am going to support this motion.
DR. P. F. Woo:-Mr. Chairman, I support Mr. CHEONG-LEEN'S motion that the Director of Education should sit in this Urban Council. The Education Department is a most important Government depart- ment, for it is charged with the duty of educating our local youths who will be our citizens of to-morrow, and its policies are of as much interest to the Urban Council as to the Legislative Council. This does not mean that we advocate the Director of Education should seek this Council's advice in his educational policies. But we do feel that if the Director of Education could be made one of us in this Council, we could, through private discussions with him when we meet every month, bring him into closer contact with the public. To make myself more clear: at present if we want anything discussed with the Director of Education (or indeed with any other Government department) we must either write, or ring up for an appointment. Very often, it may take weeks before a reply comes, and sometimes no reply comes at all, while an appointment has to be made many days ahead. This procedure dis- courages us from contacting the Director of any department who takes
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no seat in this Council. On the other hand, if the Director of Education could be with us when we have our monthly meetings, he would come into contact with Members of this Council, many of whom take an active interest in educational policies and know the needs of our community. For instance, I myself have very close contact with headmasters and teachers of local schools, whether Government, subsidized, or private, and I learn from them the many practical problems that confront them as a result of the Government's educational policies. By private dis- cussions with Urban Council Members in an informal manner, the Director of Education might find that he could gain valuable information about local educational problems.
If one argues that because education is not the direct concern of this Urban Council, the Director of Education should not be made a member, then I must say I do not see how the work of other official members here has anything to do with the Council except the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services, and yet I think his presence here has been of great benefit to himself as well as to the Council. In fact, it would be more advantageous for all Government departmental heads to be represented on this Council and be prepared to answer any questions or supplementary questions put to them. This would create better understanding between each Government department and the public.
For the reasons mentioned above, in view of the fact that the Education Department plays a very important role in the progress of our community, I strongly urge that the Director of Education should be given a seat in this Council. I have great pleasure in supporting Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's motion.
DR. A. M. S. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, since of all the Councils in this Colony I consider this Urban Council, or as it should be known, this City Council, to be the most important, and since it is the only one with elected representation it is the most indispensable, outspoken, and useful, and since I consider that it must inevitably develop into a proper Municipal Council controlling council schools, council housing, city transport and city hospitals, I must support the motion that the Director of Education be legislated for as a member of this Council. But, of course, I also think that the Commissioner for Housing, the Commis- sioner of Police and the Director of Medical and Health Services should equally be legislated for too as members of this Council.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I lend support to Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN's rather limited motion. (Laughter).
MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK:-Mr. Chairman, I rise to support with pleasure the motion and would like to say a few words thereon.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.