Yay! Do I hear "international school" now?
I'm hoping some ESF school moves in before the drug rehab school starts complaining that it's running out of space again.
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From RTHK today:
New twist in drug rehab centre saga
There's been a new development in the long-running dispute about the proposed relocation of a drugs rehabilation centre on Lantau.
The Christian Zheng Sheng College has been seeking to move into a disused school building in Mui Wo - but it's been opposed by local residents, who say they want the school for the village children.
The legislator for the education sector, Cheung Man-kwong, says the government has now agreed to fund an expansion of the college near its current remote location on the Chi Ma Wan pensinsula.
A temporary two-storey structure will be built on a 5,000 square metre site. Mr Cheung said this would give the students an improved environment.
Showing posts with label Christian Zheng Seng. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Zheng Seng. Show all posts
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
International school in Mui Wo... please?
No demand? Not enough kids? Two words: International school.
I was talking to the folks at Hong Kong International School recently and they said that demand is as high as ever. Even during the financial crisis, the waiting list didn't get shorter.
There is a reason why Discovery Bay International School has the longest waiting list of all the international schools in Hong Kong and why the YMCA Christian College in Tung Chung is talking of expanding rather than cutting down on classes like most government schools.
There is a demand for an international secondary school in Lantau both from the expat and the local community.
The number of potential students for an international secondary school is definitely higher than the number of former drug addicts, I should think.
So why does no one look at the most obvious solution to this problem?
From SCMP Feb 9, 2011:
Report a blow in battle against drug centre
There is not enough demand to justify reopening a secondary school in South Lantau, a study shows, dashing the hopes of Mui Wo residents fighting a drug-treatment centre's bid to use a former school campus.
Residents strongly objected last year to the proposed relocation of Christian Zheng Sheng College to the site in Mui Wo, saying it should reopen for the use of Lantau children.
But based on the population projection and patterns of parental choices in the secondary school place allocation results, it is insufficient to justify the setting up of a new public sector secondary school in South Lantau at this stage, an Education Bureau paper submitted to the Legislative Council says.
The college, which helps students overcome drug problems at its base in Ha Keng on the Chi Ma Wan peninsula on Lantau, hoped to relocate to the former New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Southern District Secondary School. The school closed in 2007 due to low enrolments.
The college has room for 30 students but has enrolled more than 100.
Based on statistics and parental choices, the bureau projected that only 33 Primary Six pupils, or two-thirds of the South Lantau pupils participating in the allocation system, would enrol in secondary schools in the Islands District.
It is also projected that the number of children aged six to 11 would drop from 9,800 in the 2010 school year to 9,100 in the 2013 school year before rebounding in 2014. The number of those aged 12 to 17 is expected to drop by 15 per cent, or 1,700 students, between the 2010 and 2015 school years.
The bureau said existing public secondary school places were sufficient to meet demand.
College principal Alman Chan Siu-cheuk said the figures reflected the demand in Lantau. "We really hope the government replies to our application on Mui Wo as soon as possible, as many of our students, at least 24, will need to sit public examinations under the new senior secondary curriculum next year,'' Chan said.
But Islands district councillor and a member of the Mui Wo Rural Committee, Wong Fuk-kan, said there was an increasing number of school-age children in the district.
I was talking to the folks at Hong Kong International School recently and they said that demand is as high as ever. Even during the financial crisis, the waiting list didn't get shorter.
There is a reason why Discovery Bay International School has the longest waiting list of all the international schools in Hong Kong and why the YMCA Christian College in Tung Chung is talking of expanding rather than cutting down on classes like most government schools.
There is a demand for an international secondary school in Lantau both from the expat and the local community.
The number of potential students for an international secondary school is definitely higher than the number of former drug addicts, I should think.
So why does no one look at the most obvious solution to this problem?
From SCMP Feb 9, 2011:
Report a blow in battle against drug centre
There is not enough demand to justify reopening a secondary school in South Lantau, a study shows, dashing the hopes of Mui Wo residents fighting a drug-treatment centre's bid to use a former school campus.
Residents strongly objected last year to the proposed relocation of Christian Zheng Sheng College to the site in Mui Wo, saying it should reopen for the use of Lantau children.
But based on the population projection and patterns of parental choices in the secondary school place allocation results, it is insufficient to justify the setting up of a new public sector secondary school in South Lantau at this stage, an Education Bureau paper submitted to the Legislative Council says.
The college, which helps students overcome drug problems at its base in Ha Keng on the Chi Ma Wan peninsula on Lantau, hoped to relocate to the former New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Southern District Secondary School. The school closed in 2007 due to low enrolments.
The college has room for 30 students but has enrolled more than 100.
Based on statistics and parental choices, the bureau projected that only 33 Primary Six pupils, or two-thirds of the South Lantau pupils participating in the allocation system, would enrol in secondary schools in the Islands District.
It is also projected that the number of children aged six to 11 would drop from 9,800 in the 2010 school year to 9,100 in the 2013 school year before rebounding in 2014. The number of those aged 12 to 17 is expected to drop by 15 per cent, or 1,700 students, between the 2010 and 2015 school years.
The bureau said existing public secondary school places were sufficient to meet demand.
College principal Alman Chan Siu-cheuk said the figures reflected the demand in Lantau. "We really hope the government replies to our application on Mui Wo as soon as possible, as many of our students, at least 24, will need to sit public examinations under the new senior secondary curriculum next year,'' Chan said.
But Islands district councillor and a member of the Mui Wo Rural Committee, Wong Fuk-kan, said there was an increasing number of school-age children in the district.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
School rules
The poor Lantau International School (LIS) is in trouble again over complaints of noise pollution. I have a suggestion: Come on over to Mui Wo, where there already is a purpose-built school for you. I don't see why the Christian Zheng Sheng College drug school has more claim over that vacant building than the LIS, which is also full to bursting.
Then the Christian Zheng Sheng College can move over to Pui O instead. Ex-druggies won't make a lot of noise, will they?
From SCMP:
Lantau school digs in over noise complaints
The stand-off between an international school on Lantau and neighbouring villagers is set to worsen following the government's dismissal of an appeal by the school against a noise reduction order.
Two villagers say the dismissal vindicates their complaints about what they say is unbearable noise emanating from students, but Lantau International School on South Lantau vows it will continue its fight.
It is the second time an appeal by the school against a noise abatement order has been dismissed. The Environmental Protection Department issued an initial order in March last year. That ordered the school to ensure that noise made by its pupils did not exceed 60 decibels from September 2009 to February 2010.
Failure to comply with such an order can incur a fine of HK$100,000 and a HK$20,000 daily fine for each day noise exceeds the limit.
An appeal by the school in April 2009 failed. Following the failure of its second appeal launched this February, the school was ordered by the Noise Control Appeal Board (which handles appeals under the auspices of the Noise Control Authority), to pay costs and the compliance date was extended to August 31, 2011, so the school would have time to install a sound-absorbing glass canopy. The conflict dates back to 2007 when the school bought three village house blocks in Lo Wai Tsuen, Pui O, and created an extension of its school in Tong Fuk, also on South Lantau, to cope with an expanding roll.
School supervisor Serge Berthier said no agreement had yet been reached with the District Lands Office (Islands) about construction of the canopy. The office controls permits for such constructions.
Construction of the sound canopy was originally planned to cover the school's 75-square-metre backyard which is on government land which the school rents for HK$82,560 a year.
Berthier said the District Lands Office wanted to increase the rent by 58 per cent rent as a construction precondition.
"The rent will increase from HK$82,560 to HK$129,080 per year," Berthier said. "And, so as not to disrupt students' learning, the construction can't begin until the summer break next year. But the office wanted us to pay the increased rent from now. This is ridiculous."
With her house just "separated by a wall" from the school which occupies sites No 17 to No 19, the owner of No 20, Jenny Tam, complained to the government in 2008 about noise from the school. Noise at 62 decibels was recorded at her house, 2 decibels above the allowed limit.
Tam said the school seriously disturbed villagers' peace.
"They are not just noisy during recesses and lunch hour," she said. "Some students are allowed even during class time to have music or other activities. Can you imagine how noisy it is to live right next door to 70 or 80 children?"
But Berthier said noise measurements were done just once, in 2008 at lunchtime. "It was done at the back of the house, which to my knowledge, is a bedroom. You don't use the bedroom in the middle of the day. I asked the government to do more measurements, but it said there was no need. ."
Berthier said Tam, and the owner of an iron-making shop at block No 22 who also voiced complaints about the school, did not represent the whole village.
He accused the government of discriminating against children by singling out his school for noise measurement. "Why didn't they measure other premises like the iron-making shop?" he said.
A teacher who requested anonymity said there was nothing wrong with laughing children.
"Why consider happy children a noise? From where I come from [Canada], happy children bring joy."
The school first began 18 years ago in a vacant Tong Fuk school with only eight children but now has 200 pupils. Berthier said his was the only international school offering English-language education on South Lantau. The school had spent about HK$600,000 fighting the noise abatement order and "we will go the full way [even if we have to] spend half a million [more] to fight".
Then the Christian Zheng Sheng College can move over to Pui O instead. Ex-druggies won't make a lot of noise, will they?
From SCMP:
Lantau school digs in over noise complaints
The stand-off between an international school on Lantau and neighbouring villagers is set to worsen following the government's dismissal of an appeal by the school against a noise reduction order.
Two villagers say the dismissal vindicates their complaints about what they say is unbearable noise emanating from students, but Lantau International School on South Lantau vows it will continue its fight.
It is the second time an appeal by the school against a noise abatement order has been dismissed. The Environmental Protection Department issued an initial order in March last year. That ordered the school to ensure that noise made by its pupils did not exceed 60 decibels from September 2009 to February 2010.
Failure to comply with such an order can incur a fine of HK$100,000 and a HK$20,000 daily fine for each day noise exceeds the limit.
An appeal by the school in April 2009 failed. Following the failure of its second appeal launched this February, the school was ordered by the Noise Control Appeal Board (which handles appeals under the auspices of the Noise Control Authority), to pay costs and the compliance date was extended to August 31, 2011, so the school would have time to install a sound-absorbing glass canopy. The conflict dates back to 2007 when the school bought three village house blocks in Lo Wai Tsuen, Pui O, and created an extension of its school in Tong Fuk, also on South Lantau, to cope with an expanding roll.
School supervisor Serge Berthier said no agreement had yet been reached with the District Lands Office (Islands) about construction of the canopy. The office controls permits for such constructions.
Construction of the sound canopy was originally planned to cover the school's 75-square-metre backyard which is on government land which the school rents for HK$82,560 a year.
Berthier said the District Lands Office wanted to increase the rent by 58 per cent rent as a construction precondition.
"The rent will increase from HK$82,560 to HK$129,080 per year," Berthier said. "And, so as not to disrupt students' learning, the construction can't begin until the summer break next year. But the office wanted us to pay the increased rent from now. This is ridiculous."
With her house just "separated by a wall" from the school which occupies sites No 17 to No 19, the owner of No 20, Jenny Tam, complained to the government in 2008 about noise from the school. Noise at 62 decibels was recorded at her house, 2 decibels above the allowed limit.
Tam said the school seriously disturbed villagers' peace.
"They are not just noisy during recesses and lunch hour," she said. "Some students are allowed even during class time to have music or other activities. Can you imagine how noisy it is to live right next door to 70 or 80 children?"
But Berthier said noise measurements were done just once, in 2008 at lunchtime. "It was done at the back of the house, which to my knowledge, is a bedroom. You don't use the bedroom in the middle of the day. I asked the government to do more measurements, but it said there was no need. ."
Berthier said Tam, and the owner of an iron-making shop at block No 22 who also voiced complaints about the school, did not represent the whole village.
He accused the government of discriminating against children by singling out his school for noise measurement. "Why didn't they measure other premises like the iron-making shop?" he said.
A teacher who requested anonymity said there was nothing wrong with laughing children.
"Why consider happy children a noise? From where I come from [Canada], happy children bring joy."
The school first began 18 years ago in a vacant Tong Fuk school with only eight children but now has 200 pupils. Berthier said his was the only international school offering English-language education on South Lantau. The school had spent about HK$600,000 fighting the noise abatement order and "we will go the full way [even if we have to] spend half a million [more] to fight".
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