Bulletin Number Five 1985

education and of the medium of instruction are caused by the transplantation of a British educational system to Hong Kong. As a matter of fact, many of those responsible for educating our young and for educational planning have themselves been steeped in such a system for decades, and indeed possibly have received all of their own education in it. While they may from time to time feel frustrated by these problems, the force of habit has made it not easy for them to perceive the root of these problems, or to deal with them with an open mind. Thus it probaby cannot be helped that there would yet be quite a while before we can regain a simple and rational pattern of education, and it remains of importance for like-minded educators to work closely together for quickening the pace of change, through closely monitoring developments in this area and making known their views to the general public as well as the responsible authorities. There is no denying today's world is a fiercely competitive world, not only in science and technology, industry and international trade, but equally so in culture and the domain of the mind. The rise of electronic media means that the whole world is now being shrunken onto a stage which everyone can watch in comfort at home, and that we and our younger generations are constantly being exposed to the scenes, fashions, lifestyles, and attitudes of different nations and peoples, assimilating them, comparing them, judging them and getting intoxicated by them. And quite honestly, present-day Chinese culture cannot really successfully compete with the West or Japan in taking hold of the mind of most people, especially the young people of Hong Kong. It is therefore not surprising that even well-educated and talented professionals often become subconsciously dazzled and subdued by Western ideas and systems, and thus find themselves incapable of critically judging the qualities and discerning the defects of such ideas and systems on strength of basic principles. Hong Kong is perhaps uniquely conducive to the growth and spread of such a mentality. While it is also true that both Hong Kong and China must continue to import and learn Western ideas and systems if they are to make progress, one must never lose sight of the fact that this is for the purpose of improving themselves, not for becoming part of the West, therefore a critical and discerning attitude and a constant desire to excel must be kept up in order that one would always remain the master of his own mind. The Japanese have been absorbing Chinese culture for centuries ever since the Tang and Song Dynasties, and have remade it and expanded upon it without turning themselves into Chinese; they have also been continuously absorbing Western culture ever since the Meiji Dynasty, and have again remade it, expanded upon it and thereby even built themselves into one of the most powerful economic empires of the world, yet again without turning themselves into English or American. Their thirst for learning from others and their indomitable spirit for constantly strengthening themselves are indeed worthy of our reflection and emulation. Ladies and gentlemen and students, Hong Kong will become part of China again in less than a dozen years hence, and its future will belong to the Chinese. Should Hong Kong people wish to see their city continue to charge ahead and keep up its vitality and lustre, then they must first of all have the courage of admitting to their own heart and mind that they are indeed Chinese. The concept of being 'Chinese' should not be narrowly interpreted in the ethnic, linguistic or nationality sense, but rather understood as a dynamic cultural concept. It is only through cultural identification with China that we would be able to choose the right path for Hong Kong, and to have real concern for the path along which China will go; it is through realization that Chinese culture is a dynamic and growing system that we would begin to feel and care for it, to get hurt by its backwardness and defects, even to add our toil and sweat to its progress. There is a Chinese saying, ‘If the leather no longer exists, there can be no fur'. Only when China again stands up not just politically but also culturally that Hong Kong people would be able to really hold their heads high and feel truly proud. Ladies and gentlemen, a decade or so is but a fleeting moment on the scale of history, and it will pass in the twinkling of an eye. Within that short span of time, undoubtedly the graduating students, the teachers and the guests present here as well as other people of Hong Kong not here with us today would all have yet a great many tasks, big and small ， to accomplish, as well as different individual goals to pursue. Unfortunately, most of these tasks and goals will, when we reflect upon them ten years hence, probably turn out to be of no consequence and unworthy of our thoughts and efforts; nevertheless there may still remain a small part of them which will make us feel that our endeavours have not been in vain, and which will have left some small marks that can withstand the onslaught of time. Today it is still often our habit to plot and calculate for immediate gain and convenience, but I think at this sombre moment of history it is perhaps finally time that we take a wider view and begin to perceive issues in terms of overall cultural development. May I then offer that thought to our graduating students as a parting gift. Thank you. 12 NEWS