Ordinary Gweilo

I see that our old friend Julian Harniess is in the news again.

The English Schools Foundation (ESF) held a Press Conference on Monday to announce the proposed new ordinance that will fundamentally change the way the organization is run.  From the SCMP, which mysteriously headlined its story Controversial ESF reforms on the table:

The proposals sweep away the existing foundation membership, which has been criticised by the Director of Audit, Legco’s Public Accounts Committee and education minister Arthur Li Kwok-cheung for being unwieldy and ineffective. Instead, the ESF would be overseen by a 25-member board of governors with a majority of independent members.

"The main direction of this is to have greater accountability to the wider community," chairwoman Felice Lieh Mak said.

Currently teachers, excluding principals, account for 30 per cent of the foundation. Teachers, principals and support staff would have one member each on the board.

Actually, there’s not much controversy here.  It has been obvious for some time that the ESF could not continue operating as it had done in the past, and the reforms have been under discussion for a year or so.  However…

Julian Harniess, chairman of the Association of Professional Teachers of ESF Schools, said the proposed bill disempowered teachers, who were likely to vote against it.  "The more they disempower teachers, the worse it will become for the ESF," he said.

Well, I’m not sure that I agree with you on that one, Julian.