Funding row over school's political stance

Criticism of politics trumping education is growing as Wa Ying College's reconstruction plan came to a halt due to questions over its political stance during the unrest.

The 50-year-old college in Ho Man Tin is a coeducational aided secondary school.

The Education Bureau sought approval from lawmakers for HK$473.3 million in funds to demolish the existing school building and build one with 30 classrooms in the same location.

The proposal went through a Legislative Council education panel and was supposed to head to the public works subcommittee next.

But the plug was pulled on Tuesday as the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau told lawmakers the government decided to withdraw the funding request as it was not confident of getting the support of enough lawmakers.

The conclusion was reached due to comments given by lawmakers during the education panel meeting in March.

The government decided to withdraw the project for now and would determine the timing of resubmitting the plan to the public works subcommittee after a review.

During the meeting, lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun said there are secondary schools - without naming Wa Ying College - that have been involved in the social unrest.

She suggested the Education Bureau perform its due diligence on schools that it proposed to rebuild. It was understood that pro-establishment lawmakers were concerned that the college's principal, Wun Chi-wa, was against the fugitive bill back in 2019.

In a school letter dated June 12, 2019, the same day as protesters surrounded the Legislative Council to protest against the bill, which would allow offenders to be sent to the mainland for trial, the principal had called upon the government to immediately shelve it. The bill, which was eventually shelved by the government, would bring severe damage to society and unsettle the quiet learning environment, he warned.

"If something happens to my children, the government cannot avoid taking responsibility," Wun said.

"I also call upon lawmakers to put aside their parties's stance and background and make building a harmonious society their priority."

In a statement yesterday, the college said the government's decision to "temporarily withdraw" the project is to create more time for sufficient preparations and communications.

The school has been affected by turmoil in Hong Kong for the past two years. It aims to provide a quiet and peaceful environment for students to learn and grow, it said.

"The school has been guiding secondary school students to be law-abiding, caring, peaceful and logical, and to solve problems without using violence," it said.

Lawmaker Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, believed the Education Bureau withdrew the funding request as it expected votes supporting the plan to be insufficient.

Cheung hoped the school can explain what it would do to ensure their students will not be easily affected by rioters, so lawmakers will feel reassured enough to give the green light to its reconstruction.

Former education lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen said it is very dangerous if lawmakers place politics above education when considering funding requests for school development projects.

"Hong Kong is very diverse. It is normal for schools to have different views," Ip said.

School development projects are a way to improve local educational quality, he said, adding lawmakers should prioritize the interests of students.

The Professional Teachers Union said: "Wa Ying College has been using its campus for more than 50 years. Many education facilities are lacking, and there is a pressing need for improvement so that students can study somewhere safe and comfortable."

On one internet forum, parents expressed frustration, saying the halted redevelopment plan will affect students who have picked Wa Ying College.

However, some people online are also angry that the school opposes the government while it asks for public money.

The Education Bureau last night said it was reviewing the plan and had no new information to offer.