Hong Kong’s Rosaryhill Secondary School considers subsidising uniforms, bus fares to encourage pupils to switch institutions ahead of closure

Hong Kong’s Rosaryhill Secondary School is considering subsidising uniforms and bus fares for pupils in a fresh bid to motivate them to switch to another institution, as it prepares to close after the 2025-26 academic year.

A circular issued on Friday also told parents that a proposal to transfer all Form One to Form Five pupils to a school run by the Catholic diocese in Pok Fu Lam would only proceed if more than half of the roughly 400 students in the cohort agreed to the switch.

The option was unanimously recommended by a transition committee after Rosaryhill’s sponsoring body, the Dominican Missions, announced in September it would close the school after 2025-26, and sought help from the Catholic diocese to welcome pupils.

Proposal to move over 300 pupils from Hong Kong’s Rosaryhill school ‘gets nod’

Parent-Teacher Association chairman Baljinder Singh on Saturday softened his stance on the plan to move pupils to Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No 2, which he had earlier opposed, telling the Post it was the best available option.

“We all want to resolve the problem and don’t want to dwell on this issue any longer,” said Singh, who has stayed on the school’s top governing body as a parent representative but quit its transition committee. “We want to put this to the end as soon as possible because it’s the pupils and parents who are suffering from it.”

The Mid-Levels school said in the circular that the committee, which comprised parent and alumni representatives, was “strongly convinced” that the transfer of pupils and teachers would offer “significant” learning benefits.

“We are actively exploring options such as providing subsidies for school uniforms and school bus services specifically for the students who transfer to [Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No 2]. These provisions aim to ease the financial burden on families and ensure a smoother transition for students,” the school said.

Rosaryhill has arranged visits to the Pok Fu Lam institution for parents and pupils next weekend to help them make a decision, with the school saying families will be asked to indicate their preference by mid-November.

The school said the number of teachers able to keep their jobs would depend on the final headcount of pupils making the switch. The Post earlier reported that about half of the teachers could be transferred to the Pok Fu Lam institution if all pupils chose to switch, with priority potentially given to those providing for children with special educational needs.

Pupils can also choose to remain at the Rosaryhill campus until the 2025-26 academic year, allowing Form 4 students to complete their secondary studies at the school. After that year, the school will close permanently.

The Dominican Missions’ September announcement to close the school had drawn ire from parents and alumni. Even its headmaster issued a statement, which was later removed, to refute the mission’s claim that the school had struggled to attract enough pupils.

Group taking over Hong Kong school Rosaryhill to pay sponsoring body for land use

Parent representative Singh said school management gave no details on the financial support for those choosing to transfer, acknowledging that the potential sweeteners would be tied to the final number of students making the move.

He conceded it was difficult to estimate how many parents would end up choosing to stay put, as some pupils might still prefer to graduate with a certificate that says Rosaryhill School instead of Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No 2.

“There will be a big dilemma … If some students prefer to stay, how can we entertain them in view of the welfare of teachers and students?”

Hong Kong Education Bureau concerned over Rosaryhill school shift to new owners

The transition committee will “discuss further” if the transfer proposal does not reach its approval threshold, but all junior pupils are “likely” to have to leave the school by Form Three, according to the circular.

The Education Bureau has promised that if parents choose not to participate in the transfer plan, it will assist them in finding alternative schools in Wan Chai district. Rosaryhill school has also pledged to support the pupils in the process.

The bureau had earlier declined to offer an alternative campus to accommodate the Rosaryhill students.

Additional reporting by William Yiu