Having an Education and Manpower Bureau representative on the council of the Hong Kong Institute of Education was not 'vital' but it was 'desirable', Secretary for Education and Manpower Arthur Li Kwok-cheung said this week.
On Wednesday, Professor Li acknowledged that HKIEd was the only tertiary institution to have an EMB representative on its council.
Martin Lee Chu-Ming SC, counsel for institute president Paul Morris and former academic vice-president Bernard Luk Hung-kay, asked whether it was necessary for a civil servant to sit on the council. 'There's absolutely no necessity but it offers a venue for communication between the EMB and the institute,' Professor Li said.
Mr Lee said there was no such avenue in the other tertiary institutions, but Professor Li said it was 'slightly different' in this case because HKIEd trained teachers, which directly affected the EMB's work.
When asked whether it was vital to have a representative on the council, Professor Li said: 'I don't think it's vital but I think it's desirable'. Professor Li said he expected the EMB representative to 'do what is right for the institution.'
Institute witnesses have testified that the council's EMB representatives did not greatly contribute to council meetings.