Standoff over Rosaryhill School closure

Eunice Lam

The sponsoring body of Rosaryhill School on the Mid-Levels and its alumni are in a standoff over a plan to transition all students and teachers to another subsidized secondary school on Hong Kong Island once the school closes after the 2025/26 academic year.

The school's sponsor, Dominican Mission, announced this month a merger of the private kindergarten and primary school with another private school Dalton School Hong Kong, while closing the aided secondary section.

In a transition committee meeting on Friday under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, it said Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No 2 in Pok Fu Lam agreed to admit Rosaryhill students from all grades in the next school year.

It said on Tuesday it had informed the Education Bureau of the closure.

A spokeswoman emphasized it is a voluntary arrangement and said the solution is "empathetic and fits actual needs" while calling on parents to consider the arrangement's benefits.

"It offers stability to students' emotional well-being and enables them to refocus on academic pursuits and school life."

But parents were unhappy, saying the Pok Fu Lam school is in a lower band and that it is hard to ensure a smooth transfer for existing Rosaryhill teachers.

But alumnus Eva Charisa Hsu, who attended the meeting, did not hold out much hope that junior secondary students can continue to study at the school.

"It is difficult for a school that needs to be closed to continue for six years more," Hsu said, calling on parents to consider transferring to other schools as soon as possible when there are no better alternatives.

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said in Beijing some secondary school principals in the district were willing to provide subject selection information and places to the bureau.

That came as the Church of Christ in China Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School, which is on the verge of closure, said it was encountering "technical issues" in releasing information after it was slammed by the Education Bureau for offering a HK$10,000 scholarship in the hope of luring in new students.

The school said in a notice that the scholarship to primary one students next year is a trial run, and it will later expand to students in all grades.

Choi urged schools should set up clear standards when offering scholarships or material bonuses to students.