Bulletin Spring 1989

News in Brief Senate Issued Statement on the Executive Council Decision The following is the full text of the statement to the press adopted by the University Senate at its meeting on 31st January, 1989 ， issued by the University in response to the decision of the Executive Council concerning the Education Commission Report No. 3: The Senate of The Chinese University of Hong Kong expresses deep disappointment at the decision by the Executive Council to adopt, in essence, the recommendations of the Education Commission Report No. 3 on the structure of tertiary and senior secondary education, despite the public controversy and widespread criticism by educationists the Report aroused and in the absence of clear evidence of the e f f i cacy or even practicality o f the changes recommended. The University has always held the view that six years of secondary education followed by four years of university education is the best system for Hong Kong, and that such a system is not necessarily more costly than a '5+2+3' system; it also wishes to point out that students should not be denied the freedom of choosing to receive tertiary education as soon as they are ready to benefit by it. The University has already provided ample reasons and evidence in support of the above views on many different occasions. The University notes that there is allowance for it to adjust to the changes approved by the Executive Council over a nine-year period ending in 1997. However, this provision serves merely to delay, but not to mitigate the serious consequences which the Executive Council's decision would , if implemented, eventually have for the University. Besides, the decision would harm the education of Hong Kong as a whole, because it would lead to the demise of the six-year Chinese middle school. In view of the above, the Senate sees no convincing reason for changing its previous position on this issue, and feels unable to accept the decision of the Executive Council in respect of the following two particular points of policy communicated to the University by the Secretary of Education and Manpower on 27th January, 1989: (i) at al l tertiary institutions funded by the University and Polytechnic Grant s Committee (UPGC), the objective should be for all students to be accepted for first degree programmes after Secondary 7 ， following a two-year sixth form course leading to the Advanced ( A ) level examination or to a combination of A and Intermediate (I) levels; (ii) the length of first degree courses at all UPGC- funded institutions should in principle be the same for any given subject. The University wil l do everything within its power to continue admitting students and offering degree programmes i n accordance wit h its educational goals and the University Statutes. The Government also stipulated that the subvented tertiary institutions should consult the UPGC on a number o f important academic functions, including the determination of the length of first degree courses, admission procedure, teaching time, credit unit system; and that the UPGC was to implement the government policy decisions and monitor the progress made. The Senate wishes to point out that such specific supervisor y acts would jeopardize the independent advisory role of the UPGC and place it in an invidious position vis-a-vis the universities with their own statutory responsibilities. The University always seeks positive changes in the education system of Hong Kong. However, it does believe that the education system is not a matter for administrative decision alone, and tha t a large measure of consensus among academics, educationists and students themselves is a prerequisite fo r initiating far-reaching measures which would affect the future of millions of young people in schools, colleges and universities for decades to come. The University therefore considers it important tha t public discussion 10