Hong Kong lawmaker takes aim at Education Bureau over soon-to-close Rosaryhill Secondary School
A lawmaker has warned that he will file a complaint with Hong Kong's ombudsman if education authorities do not give a soon-to-close school another two years to operate as initially suggested.
Legislator Tik Chi-yuen issued the ultimatum to the Education Bureau on Sunday, saying it also should pay attention to the emotions of all those involved with Rosaryhill Secondary School in Wan Chai and clearly explain how it would handle any closures in the future.
"If the Education Bureau does not answer these three questions well, then we will head to the ombudsman," he said, giving it a month to meet the demands.
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Rosaryhill's sponsoring body, the Dominican Missions, originally aimed to close the school in the 2025-26 academic year and to stop admitting new pupils in 2024, when it announced its closure plan in September 2023, citing enrolment and financial problems.
Under that proposal, Form Four and Five students would have been allowed to continue their studies in the school, while junior pupils would join the bureau's placement allocation process after completion of Form Three.
But the government-aided secondary school changed its plans in January, telling parents that Form One to Five pupils would transfer to Yu Chun Keung Memorial College No 2 (YCK2), in Pok Fu Lam starting from next term, drawing the ire of some parents.
Tik said he would meet the bureau over the issue in the coming weeks, and urged it to satisfy the three key demands or he would file a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman, the public administration watchdog.
His ultimatum came as families of students affected by the school closure demanded authorities do more to help them in a press conference on Sunday.
"My child hoped to finish his secondary school studies in the same school," said Lee, a mother of a Form Three student.
"However, in reality, this is impossible. My most basic demand would be for the Education Bureau to come out and listen to suggestions from students, teachers and parents."
A man surnamed Tsang, the brother of a Form Five student, said he hoped the school could stick with its original plan and shut down in 2026.
Tsang said he also expected the government would be able to explain why it handled the closure in such a manner, noting the bureau should be supervising schools and not allowing them to act freely.
In a reply to the Post, the bureau said it had maintained very close communication with the sponsoring body and the school, providing support and advice. It said it had reminded the school to take care of the learning and emotional needs of students during the transition period.
"With the efforts of many parties, the matters related to the school closure have been gradually and smoothly resolved," a bureau spokeswoman said.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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