THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG  
	 	                                 
	 	                                 
A Statement in Response to the Report on the
Teaching and Learning Quality Process Review
	 	                                 
	 	       
     Teaching  is  the  primary function,  indeed  the  raison
d'ˆtre,  of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  It has  been
and  should  always be the front and foremost activity  taking
place  on  the campus daily.  This has been confirmed  by  the
Report  of  the  Teaching and Learning Quality Process  Review
(TLQPR) Panel of the University Grants Committee (UGC) in  its
"Introduction", which states, "The Chinese University of  Hong
Kong  takes pride in its culture of teaching quality, and  the
TLQPR Panel found considerable evidence to support this view."
No  efforts  will be spared by the University to  provide  its
students with an education of the highest possible standard.  

     In  this  connection, the University welcomes the  recent
focus  of  the UGC on the existence and efficacy  of  teaching
quality  improvement and assurance processes of  institutions,
not only because it can help focus attention on the importance
of  the  teaching function, but also because  it  can  provide
views and insights from the fresh angle of a third party.  The
UGC  conducted a Teaching and Learning Quality Process  Review
of  the  University in January 1996.  The Report of the review
is  now  received by the University for record  and  follow-up
action.   The  University  is also requested  by  the  UGC  to
release it for general information.                           

     The University is greatly encouraged by the TLQPR Panel's
acknowledgement   in   the   Report's   "Introduction"    that
"sufficient improvement and assurance processes are  in  place
to  warrant  a  satisfactory degree of  confidence  about  the
University's  current quality of teaching and learning".   The
University has worked singularly hard towards such a  culture,
which  is  now understood and felt by its teachers.   This  is
also something the Panel has acknowledged.                    

     The  University takes a different view from that  of  the
Panel  regarding the alleged reliance on "implicit  processes"
in  teaching  and learning quality improvement and  assurance.
First of all, existing processes are more than implicit.   The
visiting examiner system, compulsory course evaluation  policy
and  the  teaching staff recruitment and assessment procedures
have  served  well in bringing about the University's  present
achievements in its academic standard.  Second, the University
believes  that  the  best possible quality is  the  successful
embedment  of  a culture where teachers and students  motivate
themsleves  to  bring about the improvements.  The  University
will  therefore caution itself against creating a  bureaucracy
for  defining  and  reporting activities  in  the  pursuit  of
teaching  quality because such a bureaucracy  may  stifle  the
initiatives  of  the  individuals concerned  and  because  too
elaborate  and definitive a procedural system may only  result
in  lip-service obedience, which is not conducive to  a  self-
reflective  and  self-initiated approach  in  the  pursuit  of
quality.   Having  said that, the University  will  of  course
continue  to  work out ways and means to improve its  existing
processes for even greater effectiveness.                     

     The  University  will  continue to uphold  its  bilingual
policy,  which is of paramount importance in the  training  of
future  leaders  of  the  community.   While  believing   that
effective  language training should best be given  in  primary
and  secondary  education, and that the low language  standard
among  Hong  Kong  students reflects the failure  of  language
education  at  the  primary and secondary school  levels,  the
University  sees  the  provision of language  courses  at  the
University  for incoming students, particularly those  at  the
lower  end  of  the ability spectrum, as a priority  area  for
development.   The Panel has observed that a few  students  in
this   University  may  have  graduated  with   less   English
proficiency.  Such a phenomenon is by no means unique to  this
institution.   The  University  has  in  fact  been   actively
addressing this difficult task of language education given the
constraints of limited resources on the one hand and students'
limited  time  on  the  other.  Apart from  the  provision  of
elective proficiency courses, which includes offering them  in
the   summer   break,  and  multi-facet  language  enhancement
activities  organized by the Independent Learning  Centre  and
the four Colleges of the University, the Faculties of Business
Administration,  Engineering  and  Social  Science  will  with
effect  from  1996-97 require their new students  to  take  at
least one language course.  Plans are underway for introducing
language  programmes  in  other  faculties  catering  to   the
specific  needs  of individual faculties in the  near  future.
Our  commitment to the good quality of language education will
never waver.