A call to establish an independent body to monitor possible abuses by university heads has been rejected.
Secretary for Education and Manpower Joseph Wong Wing-ping said yesterday the Government would not step into university administration because such institutions had autonomy.
Setting up an independent body over the eight institutions to oversee staff appeals would be inappropriate, he said.
'The internal administration, which includes employment and staffing, is decided by the institution chief.' Mr Wong said universities were governed by their own ordinances and subject to scrutiny by various bodies including the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Director of Audit and the Equal Opportunities Commission.
His remarks followed a proposal to set up an ombudsman's council for higher education staff to oversee staff appeals.
At a Legislative Council education panel hearing, representatives from eight higher education institutions' unions complained that university chiefs and department heads had too much power over deciding whether teaching staff should be sacked, and that those responsible for appeals were often the parties involved in dismissals.