Institute of Education students last night delivered an overwhelming vote of no confidence in Thomas Leung Kwok-fai, the chairman of the institute's governing council, which is dominated by government appointees. Some 680 voted to say they did not trust Dr Leung, with only 36 saying they did. There were 65 abstentions. The two-day vote, organised by the student union, ended last night with about 30 per cent of the 2,400-plus students having taken part. In a statement, the student union said it hoped the council would take the vote seriously and consider replacing Dr Leung as chairman. 'We also hope the council will improve its handling during this transitional period and increase its transparency,' it said. The results will be presented to the council meeting today, which will discuss arrangements for the transition period before a new president is picked. In response, Dr Leung said the no-confidence vote stemmed from a serious misunderstanding on the part of the students. He said he would discharge his duties according to his conscience. He said his priorities were retitling of the institute, finding a new president and maintaining stability during the transition. He had reacted to the vote calmly and would continue to work to the benefit of the institute and teacher training.
