A. M. D. G. - Wah Yan College, Hong...
Transcript of A. M. D. G. - Wah Yan College, Hong...
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A.M.D.G.
WahYanCollege,HongKong
AJesuitSecondarySchool
Proposalon
CreatingConditionsforRenewedMissionandSustained
DevelopmentbyadoptingtheDirectSubsidyScheme
ConsultationDocument(Revised)
CommissionedbytheJesuitEducationBoard
October2017
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“TheLordisaskingofusthecouragetofollowthepathofrenewal.Allofusareawareoftherapidevolutiongoingonintheworld,insocietyandintheculture.Education,theschool,isprofoundlyimmersedinthisevolutionandthismeansthatwemustbeengagedinacontinuousadaptation.Toconsiderourselvesoutsideofhistoryisequivalentto
declaringourselvesdead(...)Everychangemustbetheresultofcarefulresearch,acceptingtheriskwhichchangealwaysimplies.”
Fr.Kolvenbach,S.J.(1986)
Yourcomments/ideas/suggestionsareimportanttous.Pleasesendusyourinputsthroughthefollowingchannels:-
Mail Address:-WahYanCollege,HongKong281Queen’sRoadEast,WanChai,HongKong
Email OurofficialemailaddressforWYHKDSS:[email protected]
ConsultationSessions PleaserefertoourwebsitefromtimetotimeondatesofupcomingSessions.
SubmissionviaGoogleForm Link:https://goo.gl/forms/vSJZxnATG1drE9b12
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Contents
Preamble.................................................................................................................................4
Chapter1:Introduction...........................................................................................................5
Chapter2:DSSforWYHK–OneStone,ThreeBirds?................................................................8
Chapter3:TheVisionandParametersforaDSS-WYHK..........................................................18
Chapter4:ManagementandGovernance..............................................................................22
Chapter5:AdmissionofF.1students.....................................................................................25
Chapter6:ClassStructure,CurriculumandStudentDevelopment..........................................33
Chapter7:Staffing–HRpolicies,WorkingconditionsandRetainingGoodTeachers/Staff......37
Chapter8:FeelevelsandFinance...........................................................................................43
Chapter9:ConsultationofStakeholders.................................................................................47
Chapter10:Conclusion...........................................................................................................50
Appendices............................................................................................................................51
Appendix1:SchoolfeesofDSSSchoolswithsimilarbackgroundstoWYHKin2017/18..........52
Appendix2:StudentEnrolmentinPrimary6,2015.................................................................53
Appendix3:SecondarySchoolPlacesAllocationSysteminHongKong...................................54
Appendix4:MedianMonthlyDomesticHouseholdIncomeofAllDomesticHouseholdsby
DistrictCouncilDistrict,2016..................................................................................................59
Appendix5:ProfessorChengKaiMing’sviewonHRneedsofschoolsinHongKong..............60
Appendix6:ComparisonamongDSSSchoolswithsimilarbackgrounds..................................61
Appendix7:Financialsimulationbasedon2016/17...............................................................62
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Preamble
DSSisneitherintrinsicallygoodnorbad.Contrarytopopularbelief,itdependsona)
thecontextoftheschoolandb)howtheflexibilityitaffordstoaDSSschoolisbeing
implemented.
Thefirstchapterofthisdocumentisanintroductionofthecurrentexplorationand
theDSSmode.ThesecondchapterexplainswhyDSSmightatonceprovideoptimal
solutionstothreekeychallengesthattheschoolisorwillbefacinginthenearfuture
givenitscontext.ThethirdchapterexplainstheJesuitEducationBoard’sVisionand
parametersregardinghowaDSS-WYHKistobedesigned.Thesubsequentchapters
will provide in some detail on how DSS might be implemented at WYHK. They
include governance structure, admission, learning & teaching and student
development,HRpolicyandfinancialprojections.Therearequestionsalongtheway,
invitingstakeholderstocontributeinputssothattheycanparticipateinshapingthe
futureofWYHK.Chapter9describeshowtheconsultationwillbeconductedandthe
decisionmade,followedbyaconclusioninChapter10.
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Chapter1:Introduction
1.1Backgrounds
As Wah Yan College Hong Kong (WYHK) is approaching its centenary, The Jesuit
EducationBoard(JEB)commissionedaTaskforceinSeptember2015,consistingof6
teachers, 2 parents, 2 alumni and the Principal, to review the key challenges and
exploretheoptionsaheadfortheschoolsoastobetterrealizetheJesuitvisionto
education.
Afteroneandahalfyears,JEBreviewedtheoptionsanalyzedbytheTaskforceand
madethedecisiontoproceedwithformalconsultationonthepossibilityof joining
theDirectSubsidyScheme(DSS).
Throughtheresearchandanalysis,JEBnotedthattimeshavechangedandWYHKis
facingsomeuniquechallenges.Thetimeisripefortheschooltoseriouslyconsider
thepossibilityofjoiningDSS.
1.2TheDirectSubsidyScheme(DSS)-Highlights
BeforecommentingontheappropriatenessofWYHKturningDSSorgiving
suggestionsonshapingaDSS-WYHK,itisimportantwegetsomeofthefactsabout
DSSright.Herearehighlightsofitssalientfeatures:
• Thegovernment’spolicyobjectiveforDSSistoprovideflexibilityforschoolsso
thattheiruniquevisionsandapproachescanbeimplementedwithouttherigid
constraintssetbytheCodeofAid.Eachschoolcouldthenhavemoreroomto
develop itsuniquecharacteristics. ThepoolofDSSschoolswill ideallyprovide
choiceswithdifferentvisionsforparentswhomayhavedifferentaspirationsfor
theirsonsanddaughters.
• ReducinggovernmentspendingoneducationisnotapolicyobjectiveoftheDSS.
So thegovernment is actuallyprovidingmoreor less the sameamountofper
studentsubsidytoDSSschoolsastheaveragesubsidyperstudentintheAided
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Sector. That iswhysomeDSSschoolscansurvivewithrather lowschoolfees.
However,subsidyforDSSschoolsisbasedonnumberofstudents,notnumber
ofclasses.SothereisariskofreceivinglesssubsidyiftheclasssizeoftheDSS
schoolissmallerthantheaverageclasssizeofAidedschoolsinHongKong.
• There are currently 61 DSS secondary schools. Their fees range from $0 to
around$100,000peryear.
• RegardingDSSschoolswithsimilarhistoryandbackgroundstoWYHK,theirfees
rangefrom$18,800toover$60,000peryear.PleaserefertoAppendix1fora
comparisontable.
• There is flexibility with S1 Admission policy. DSS schools need not adhere to
districtrestrictions.
• For DSS secondary schools with linkage to primary schools, the admission
arrangements can be finely tailored to the special circumstances they are in
through an agreement between the primary school and the DSS secondary
school. IfWYHK stays aided, the only available options are: a) stay put (with
continuedallocationof85%oftheCentralAllocationplacestoNetBand1and
Band2 graduatesof its feeder primary school PUWY–which translates to 79
places),b)totaldelinkagewithnoreservedplacesfromWYHKandc)"through
train"(admittingallfromPUWYregardlessof"banding").
• TheMediumofInstruction(MOI)forDSSschoolsisbasedonactualsuitabilityof
theMOI ineachparticularDSSschool. Ontheotherhand, forAidedschools,
the permission to adopt English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) is based
strictlyonthe“banding”ofstudentintake–85%ormoreofF.1intakeshouldbe
atthetop40%band.Butthis“banding”reflectsoverallacademicachievement
ofastudentwhichneednotbethesameasastudent’sEnglishproficiency.
• Subsidy forDSSschools is ingeneralprovided in the formof lumpsumrather
thanseparategrantseachrestrictedtospecificuses1. Thisallowsforflexibility
offundusage.
• DSSschoolshavetheflexibilitytoadoptnon-localcurriculum(e.g.GCSEorIB)as
anoption,thoughthemajorityofthestudentsmustadoptthelocalcurriculum
andtaketheHKDSEexamination.
• IfasecondaryschoolturnsDSS,forthosestudentswhoarealreadystudyingin
aswellasthosehavingappliedforadmissiontothefeederprimaryschoolatthe
timeofannouncementofDSSapproval,theirchanceforbeingadmittedtothe
1ExceptforthosegrantswhichareseparatelyissuedtotheDSSschool,suchasCapacity
EnhancementGrantandCareerandLifePlanningGrant.
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secondary schoolwill not be affected. However, based on EDBpolicy, school
feeswillapply,thoughfeeremissionwillbeavailablefortheneedy.
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Chapter2:DSSforWYHK–OneStone,ThreeBirds?
The Exploration Exercise that took place from September 2015 to the December
2016 identifiedthreekeychallengestheschool is/willbe facing inthenear future.
Theyinclude:
a)Servingthepoor:theconstraintsoftheAidedSystemhaveparadoxicallyresulted
inastudentprofilewhichisingeneralratherwell-off.
b)Learnerdiversity:theadmissionsystemandchangeineducationallandscapethat
theschooliscurrentlysubjectedto(ratherthanthequalityofeducationatWYHKor
PUWY)haveresultedinexcessivelearnerdiversity2which,besidesissuesrelatedto
teachingandsomestudents'self-confidence,alsoputsWYHKatriskoflosingitsEMI
status.Thetrendhasbecomeratherworryingsince2011.
c)Resourceconstraints:thelongrunsustainabilityofrelyingsolelyondonationsto
support recurrent expenditures of the "Dream Campaign3" cannot be comfortably
assumed.Resourcesarealsoneededtosupportotheraspectsofourvisionandto
meetpracticalneedsuniquetoourschool.
Thesewillbeelaboratedinthefollowingsections.
2Ingeneral,educatorsshouldseelearnerdiversityasanopportunityratherthanachallenge.
However,whenitbecomesexcessive,thenwewillneedtopayattentiontotheadverseeffectonthe
qualityoflearningandstudentdevelopment.TheevolutionfromtheHongKongSecondarySchool
EntranceExam(HKSSEE)systembeforetheearly1980stotheBandingsystem,thenthereductionof
5Bandstoonly3havegraduallyincreasedlearnerdiversityovertheyearsandthisappliestoall
Aidedschools,includingschoolsadmitting100%Band1studentsduetowiderbands.AtWYHK,it
seemswemightbefacingaleveloflearningdiversitythatissomewhatbeyondtheoptimallevel.
3The“DreamCampaign”referstoFrDeignan’swishtoenhancelearningandteachingatthetwoWah
YansthroughimplementationofSmallClassTeaching.ThemainpurposeoftheWYOFFistoraise
fundstorealizethisideal.
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2.1Servingthepoor
OfalltheconcernsthathaveledtotheExploration,Visioncarriesparticularweight
fortheSocietyofJesus(ourSponsoringBody). NowdespitebeinganAidedschool
with no school fee charged, there is strong evidence to suggest that the
socioeconomic backgrounds of current students of WYHK are significantly higher
thantheHongKongaverage.Table1belowshowsthedistributionofourstudents’
familyincomebasedonasurvey4donein2015-16.
Table1:Self-reportedFamilyIncomeofWYHKstudents(2015/16)
FamilyMonthlyIncome %ofstudents
$0-$10,000 5% $10,001-$25,000 9% $25,001-$40,000 20% $40,001-$55,000 18% $55,001-$70,000 13% Over$70,000 36%
As reference, the median monthly domestic household income in Hong Kong is
$25,000in2016.Soitseemsatleast86%5ofourstudentscomefromfamilieswhich
areabovethismedianincome.
Theother two indicatorsof studentprofileare thenumberof studentswhocome
from families supported by the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA)
SchemeorentitledtofullgrantundertheSchoolTextbookAssistanceScheme(STAS-
Full).In2015/16,lessthan1%ofthestudentscomefromfamiliesreceivingCSSAand
only4%ofthestudentsareentitledtoSTAS-Full.(Table2)
4These are self-reported figures. Some commentators think that there is a tendency for under-
reporting so the actual income level could be even higher, but this has not been confirmed nor
refutedinthestudy.
5Thetableaddsuptomorethan100%duetorounding.
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Table2:NumberofWYHKstudentsreceivingCSSAorSTAS-Fullinschoolyear2015/16
CSSA STAS-Full
F1-F3 3 16
F4-F6 4 19
Total 7(0.8%*) 35(4%*)*Percentageoftotalstudentpopulation.
Tounderstandwhythishascomeabout,wemayturntotheS1AdmissionSystem
applicabletoanAidedSchoolwithaFeederPrimarySchool.Basedonthissystem,
threedifferentgroupsofprimaryschoolstudentsenjoydifferentchancesforbeing
admittedtoWYHK:
a) 79 Central Allocation places (CA) are to be allocated to our Feeder School
PUWY6,providedthestudentisatNet-Band2orabove.[85%ofourtotalCA,
whichinturnaccountfor70%ofourreservedF.1places].
b) 14 Central Allocation places (CA) are to be allocatedmainly toWan Chai7
[15%ofourtotalCA,whichinturnaccountfor70%ofourreservedF.1places]
– the P.6male students inWan Chai in 2016-17was estimated to be 888
basedongovernmentfigures8.
c) 43 Discretionary Places (DP) to be open for application without district
restrictions[30%ofF.1placesatWYHK]-P.6malestudentsinthewholeof
HongKongin2016-17wasestimatedbythegovernmenttobe24,2679.
SincethesocioeconomicbackgroundsofstudentsfromPUWYandWanChaiNetare
generally expected to be relatively higher10, the observation that most of our
6Thenumberofgraduatesinrecentyearshasbeenreducedtoabout120(fromabout160)dueto
territory-widereductioninclasssizeforprimaryschoolsinHongKong.
7With3placesforSouthernDistrictand2forplaceswithoutdistrictrestrictions.
8PleaseseeAppendix2forgovernmentfiguresonP.6enrolmentinlocalschoolsinHongKong.
9PleaseseeAppendix3fordetailsoftheSecondarySchoolPlacesAllocationSysteminHongKong.
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studentscomefrommorewell-offfamiliesdoesnotcomeasasurprise. Whilewe
havenevertriedtoselectstudentsfromthehigher incomegroups,thesystemhas
donea“selection”ofitsownthroughtheconstraintsitimposesonapplicants.Given
thateconomicinequalityinHongKongisamongthemostseriousinthedeveloped
world, it prompts us to seriously rethink the possibility of breaking free of the
constraintswearesubjectedtoundertheAidedSystemsothatwecanadmitmore
students from lesswell-offdistrictsandgroups inHongKongandplayourhumble
partinbridgingthewealthgap.
2.2LearnerdiversityandEMIStatus
Educatorsshouldnotshyawayfromlearnerdiversitybutshouldtrytoaddresswith
itpositively.Some levelof learnerdiversitycan in factbeagood thing. However,
thereisprobablyanoptimallevelofdiversitybeyondwhichlearningqualitycouldbe
harmed for all students in the class. Our data and the actual experience in the
classroom indicate that we have a higher than optimal level of learner diversity.
Whatismore,since2011,thepercentageofstudentsbeing"EMI-capable"(basedon
EDBdefinition11)hasedgeddangerouslyclosetothe85%minimumrequiredunder
theAidedsysteminorderthatwecankeepourEMIstatus.WithsmallerPUWYP.6
graduatingcohorts12inrecentyears,thequotaof79havenotbeenfullytakenupin
thelastthreeyears,implyingthatallNetBand1andBand2graduatesfromPUWY
who selectedWYHKhave successfully gainedadmission toWYHK. The figuresare
respectively74in2014and70inboth2015and2016.
ItiseasytojumptothewrongconclusionthateitherWYHKorPUWYarenotdoing
well.Ouranalysisdoesnotsupportthisclaim.WYHKhasactuallybecomeevenmore
10WanChaiisregardedastherichestdistrictinHongKong,significantlyricherthanthemedian.See
Appendix 4 for comparison across different districts in Hong Kong. The 2016 median monthly
domestichouseholdincomeforWanChaiis$37,750whilethatfor“AllDistricts”isjust$25,000.
11Beingwithinthetop40%bandterritory-wide.
12ClasssizeofPUWYwasreduced(followingterritory-widepolicy)from40to30in2008.Inthedays
whentheclasssizewas40,aquotaof79representsaquotapercentageof79/160=49.4%.With
smallerclassesof30,thequotaof79representsaquotapercentageof79/120=65.8%.
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attractivetoapplicantsthanpreviousyears.TheapplicationnumberfortheF.1DP
placeshasincreasedbyover42%from2014to2017.AsforPUWY,itcanbeshown
thatifPUWYisjustanaverageschoolinanaveragedistrictinHongKong,thebest
we can achieve (i.e. all non-PUWY intakes are Band 1) in terms of EMI-capable
studentsisonly77.1%13.Thefactthatwehavecontinuedtohaveover85%ofEMI-
capablestudentsthroughouttheseyearsisalreadyquiteanachievement.Soitisnot
abouthowwellWYHKorPUWYaredoing.Therealproblemlieswiththeconstraints
ofthesystem,thechangingeducationallandscapeinHongKongandclasssize.
Going into the future, will there be a risk that our EMI-capable percentage falls
below 85%? One projection has shown that had PUWY been in a more average
District/NetthanWanChaiinthepast3yearssothatmorestudentsbecomeeligible
tofillmostorallofthecurrentlyunfilledquotas(2014:3,2015:8or9,2016:8or
9),thenevenwiththesamegroupofstudents,wewouldhavealreadyfailedtomeet
theEMIstandardinallthese3years.ItmustbenotedthatWanChai'sDistrict/Net
Banding standard is generally understood to be very high. As a reference, in our
2016admission,forthesamegroupofnewstudents,thenumberofthesestudents
being classified as Band One will be 34% higher if measured by Territory-wide
Banding,as compared tobeingmeasuredbyDistrict/NetBanding (overwhelmingly
basedonWanChaiDistrict/Netstandard).Nowthesaidprojectionaboutlosingour
EMI status requires only that the number of District/Net Band 1 and 2 PUWY
13Thisstatementcanbeshownasfollows:
AssumeP.6studentsatPUWY=120
WYHKquotasforPUWY=79
Band1students(1/3of120)fillingthequotas=40
Band2studentsfillingtherestofthequotas=39
Band2students’abilitiesrangefromthetop33.3%marktothetop66.7%mark.
So, percentageof theseBand2 studentswho are among the top 40%= (40%– 33.3%) / (66.7%–
33.3%)=20%
PercentageoftheseBand2studentswhoarebelowthetop40%group=1–20%=80%
Actualnumberofthisgroupofnon-EMI-capablestudents=39X80%=31.2
Assumingallnon-PUWYadmitteesareEMI-capable,
thenthepercentagethatisnotEMI-capable,outofthetotalintakeof136=31.2/136=22.9%
ThismeansthepercentageofEMI-capablestudentsis100%-22.9%=77.1%<85%
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students increase by a mere 11% if measured based on a District/Net Banding
StandardjustmoderatelylowerthanthatofWanChai.Atthispointintime,noone
canpreciselyquantifytheriskthatWYHKwillloseitsEMIstatusin5,10or20years’
timebuttheaboveanalysisisworryingindeed. Andthepainfulfactis,thisthreat
relates to structural factors andnot theattractivenessofWYHKnor thequalityof
PUWY'seducation.
Another question worth asking is: what is the "risk tolerance" of the Wah Yan
CommunitywithWYHK losing its EMI status? This relates to the seriousnessof its
consequences. Some have described such an eventuality as "apocalyptic". The
damage of losing the EMI status goes much beyond a mere change inMOI as it
threatensourveryheritageandourabilitytonurtureleaderswithChristianvaluesin
ametropolitancity.ItisregardedasdisastrousnotonlytocurrentWahyanitesbut
alsotoprospectiveWahyanites,includingstudentsofPUWYaspiringtobeadmitted
to WYHK. Furthermore, if WYHK stands for a unique and valuable approach to
educationthathasbearingsonthecorevaluesofHongKong,thenthelossforWYHK
is also a loss for Hong Kong. From these perspectives, the risk tolerance of this
scenarioisverylow.Soshouldwewaituntilitactuallyhappensbeforetakingaction,
orshouldwebeproactivebeforeitistoolate?
Under the Aided system, WYHK cannot readjust the number of our intake from
PUWYunlessweareprepared to go all theway todelinkwithPUWY. For several
importantreasons,thisissomethingwearereluctanttodoifwehaveotherchoices.
What ismore, under the Aided system, the criteria for EMI eligibility is based on
students'overallbanding,not theiractualEnglishproficiency. Onlyunder theDSS
canwehavetheflexibilitytore-adjustthequotaandadoptmorerelevantadmission
criteriaforPUWYgraduates.
2.3Resources
We do not aim to become a school with luxurious facilities and an overly
comfortable learning environment. An environment that is too comfortable, a life
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withlittledifficulty,andapupilwitha"consumer'smindset"arecounterproductive
to students'developmentandcontrary toourvision. However,wedoneedsome
resources in addition to what the Aided system currently provides in order to
support our educational ideals. Fr. Deignan's "Dream Campaign" to support Small
Class Teaching (SCT) and some whole person support/development programs
throughfundraisingbyWahYanOneFamilyFoundation(WYOFF)isacaseinpoint.
However,thesustainabilityofraisingfundstosupportrecurrentexpendituresofthe
campaigncannotbecomfortablyassumed14.
And going beyond the “Dream Campaign”, there are other areas that need extra
fundingifWYHKistodeliverqualityeducationinthelongrungivenitscontextand
uniquevision:
a) GeneralinadequacyofresourcesforAidedschools:
Many teachers and educators in Hong Kong have opined that government
resources provided toAided schools is insufficient15. In fact, the rapid rise in
teacherworkloaddue togrowingdevelopmentalneedsof students inanever
more complex world, rising expectations among stakeholders and increasing
competitionisnotmetwithcorrespondingincreaseinresourcesforschools16.
b) Thelearner-centeredandmorepersonalizedapproachofJesuiteducation:
Jesuiteducationvaluestheuniquenessandinitiativeofeachindividual.Instead
of"standardization","control","command","outcome","efficiency",thewords
more applicable to the Jesuit approach may be "personalization",
"companionship", "support", "process", "effectiveness". Instead of being
imposedfromwithout, learningaspreferredbytheJesuits, istobedeveloped
organically from within. This calls for patience, more opportunities for
interactionsbetween teachers /professional staff and studentsoutsideof the
classroom, and requires smaller classes as well as additional human service14CurrentheadcountsfundedbyWYOFFmaybeaffectedinthemediumtolongterm.
15Please refer to Prof. KM Cheng’s recent article on the need for additional human resources,
includingteachers,supportingprofessionalsandstaff foradministrationandculturalenhancements
inAppendix5.
16Government’sreluctancetoaddheadcountortoturntheoutdatedNon-Gradtrack(CM,AM,SAM)
postsintoGradtrack(GM,SGM)postsareexamples.
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personnel17(e.g.psychologists,counselors,socialworkers,studentdevelopment
officers,etc.).TheresourcesprovidedundertheAidedmodeareinadequatefor
implementation of this distinctive Jesuit approach. With more resources,
studentswithdifferentcharacteristics suchas studentswhoaregiftedorwith
talents inparticularareas,studentswithspecialneeds(psychological,physical,
academic. family), students active in extra-curricular activities (ECA) needing
consolidationof their richexperiencethroughguidedreflections,etc.couldbe
supportedtoflourishinthemostsuitableway.
c) SustainingJesuitcharacteristicsthroughspecialstaffformationprograms:
ThefallingnumberofJesuitsinHongKongrequiresthatweputmoreemphasis
onIgnatianPedagogyandIgnatianleadershipinourstaffformation.Weshould
also engagemore in the regional and global community of Jesuit schools and
educators to keep abreast of developments, to contribute to it, and to form
alliances. These programs as well as follow-up activities would requiremore
resources so thatwe can continue to stay Jesuit not only in namebut also in
substance.
d) EnhancingtheEMIenvironmentthroughmoreNET(s):
One special feature ofWYeducation in the old days is the “culture shock” of
being taught by foreign Fathers. To recreate this is impossible, but to do the
least,wecouldhavemorenativeEnglishteachers(NETs)intheschoolandmore
opportunitiesforoverseasstudentexchanges.
e) Creatingroomformaneuverforreform:
Givenourlonghistoryandtherapidlyevolvingeducationallandscape,thereare
variousaspectsoftheschoolthatrequirerethinkingorreform.However,witha
fixed amountof resources, anymanpower allocated to investigateor test out
new approaches will often lead to significant increase in workload for
others/overall.Whilewehaveconfidenceinthededicationofourteachersfor
17 Some schools with resources to employ more teachers and/or social workers / student
developmentofficerswouldorganizecompulsorypersonaldevelopmentcampslocallyoroverseasat
differentstagesofthestudents'secondaryschool life(e.g.F.1forbridgingandadaptationtoanew
environment and new expectations, F.2/3 for transition towards being a young adult striving for
independence but requiring amatching sense of responsibility, F.3/4 for preparation of leadership
roles,F.4/5forchallengesofthepublicexamandmakingchoicesforlifebeyondthesecondaryschool,
etc.). Such experiences of living together outside the school setting also help teachers and staff to
understand the different facets of the students’ characters and identify better the developmental
needsofindividualstudents.
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continuous improvements, if dedicated teachers need to bear increased
workload over an extended period of time, then we need to see if it is
sustainability.
f) Longertermprospectsforcurrentcontractsupport/professionalstaff:
Ithasbeenobservedthattherearequiteanumberofverydedicatedteaching-
supportstaff,suchasTAs,IT/AVtechnicians,professionalstaffetc.whoarenot
part of the government-funded permanent establishment atWYHK. However,
giventheunstablenatureoffundingbythegovernment18orourprivatefunding
for such posts, we cannot offer them any reasonable long term prospects.
However,theyareoftenengagedinvitalservicesthatrequirecontinuity.
g) Facilitiesandcampusmanagement,maintenanceandenhancements:
Weareblessedwitha large campusmore thandouble the sizeof anaverage
secondaryschoolinHongKongwithmanytreesandwildlife.Howeverthisalso
requires more resources to maintain – the monthly electricity bill and the
occasionalneedtotakecareofthedangerposedbyourtreesareexamples.The
agingbuildings(andbuildingswithfacilitiesfromdifferentages)furtheraddto
the cost of management andmaintenance. The governmentmay provide for
“repairs”thatfitintoitsrestrictivedefinitionbutthoserepairsthatfalloutsideit
arenot covered. Furthermore, neededenhancement / campusdevelopment19
work considered “above standard” (whichmay nonethelessmake the campus
more favorable to learning,moreuser-friendly andbetter utilized)will not be
funded.
h) Nurturing/supporting/benefittingfromanexceptionallylargenetwork:
Another special featurewe are grateful for is thatWah Yan has a big alumni
networkconsistingofoldboysofdifferentgenerationslocatedindifferentparts
oftheworld.Externalorganizationsandotheroutsiderslocallyandoverseasare
18Forexample, funding forSENsdependson thenumberof reportedSENcasesandseriousnessof
thecaseseveryyearsotheactualfundingeachyearcanbequitedifferentfrompreviousyears,and
theschoolonlygetsthefundingafterthecasesareconfirmedmaking itdifficulttoplanmanpower
ahead.
19Somecampusdevelopmentwork thathavebeen suggestedby variousparties includee.g. the IS
Lab,theStudentLibrary,theReceptionCounter,resizingofsomeclassroomsintheGordonWuHall,
turning the campus into a "Learning Campus" with additional decorations and intellectually-
stimulatingdisplays,better/quieterworkingenvironmentforteachers,etc.Somehavealsosuggested
longeropeninghoursoffacilities.
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alsoveryinterestedtoknowaboutus,toenterintodialogueorevenmutually-
beneficialcooperationwithus.However,itrequiresextramanpowertoexplore
such opportunities – whether it be supporting/nurturing or benefitting from
them.
TheabovearebutsomeofthemanyareasthatWYHKcanbenefitfrommore
resources.
2.4Conclusion:DSScouldbeasolutionthatsolvesthreekeychallengesinonego
This chapter has shown, with backup data, that we are facing three serious
challenges.Somesolutionsmaysolveoneortwoofthesechallengesbutittakesthe
boldstepofadoptingDSStosolveallthreeproblemsinonego.WithDSS,
a) We can reach out to admit more students from less well-off districts and/or
groupssothatstudentsfromdifferentsocioeconomicstatus(SES)canbenefitfrom
Jesuit education and that the increase in diversity of the SES of our students is in
itselfasourceofinspirationtostudentsfromallbackgrounds.
b)Wecanre-adjustthemuchtreasuredrelationshipwithPUWYwithoutanoutright
delinkagesothatameaningfulrelationshipcancontinue,providinguswithacritical
massofF.1studentswhoalreadyhave6-yearsofeducationwithJesuitvaluesand
benefitting all other F.1 students - all these, without leading to excessive learner
diversityaswellastheriskoflosingourEMIstatus;anddoingjusticetonon-PUWY
studentswhoaspirestronglytoonly6yearsofJesuiteducationatWYHK.
In away, the flexibility ofDSSmaybe used to reduce somewhat excessive learner
diversityandincreasediversityofstudents'socioeconomicbackgrounds.
c)We can steer away from sole reliance on donations to achieve our educational
idealsasthosewhocanafforditcanpayforthecostswhiledonationscanfocuson
helping the needy. A modest increase in resources can also support sustainable
effortstoimplementtheJesuitvisioninouruniquecontextoverthelonghaul.
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Chapter3:TheVisionandParametersforaDSS-WYHK
In the 25 January, 2017meeting of the Jesuit Education Board, themembers laid
downafewbroadparameterswithinwhichtheschoolshoulddeveloptheproposal.
Theyinclude:
a. Theschoolshouldbeaplaceforboththepoorandtherichtolearnfrom
eachotherandtogrowtogetherasbrothersequallyvaluableinGod'seyes.
b. Theschoolshouldchargeaclearlylowschoolfee(e.g.$20,000orlessper
year)as compared to schoolsof similar standing toavoid the imageofa
schoolexclusivelyfortherichandprivileged(����)20.
c. Curapersonalisasanidealshouldapplytothestaffaswellsoitshouldbe
takenintoaccountwhentheschooldevelopsitsHRpolicies
3.1Respondingtothegreaterneedsofsociety
WithaswitchtoDSS,WYHKaspirestobe“aplaceforboththepoorandtherichto
learn fromeachother and to grow together as brothers equally valuable inGod's
eyes."
Givenourheritage,WYHKisuniquelypositionedtorespondtothegreaterneedsof
societyinHongKongbyprovidingconditionsfordevelopingacommunitythatcuts
across(andthusbondsstudentsfromdifferent)socioeconomicclassesandlocations
in Hong Kong. In thisway, these studentswould learn to see each other not just
throughthelensofclassesbutasrealhumanbeings,everyoneuniqueyetsharinga
common humanity. This openness to embrace differences, confidence in the
possibilityofunityindiversityandconcreteactiontodevelopasenseofcommunity
aresorelyneededforthelongtermhealthydevelopmentofHongKong.
20Thekeyconcernhereisthattheimageofaschoolsolelyfortherichandprivilegedmaydeterpoor
studentsfromapplying.
19
Students learn not just from their academic studies but also fromeachother. By
gettingstudentsfromdifferentdistrictsandsocioeconomicclassestogether,theless
well-offwillnotseesocalled"prestigiousschools" likeWahYanas intimidatingor
unreachable. They also gain access to "social capital"21, a factor increasingly being
recognized as important for upward mobility. With our long history and status,
WYHK is uniquely positioned to play a special role in letting the lesswell-off gain
access to our “social capital” if we can admit more students from more diverse
socioeconomicbackgrounds.ThishasbeenapreciousfeatureatWYHKinthe"good
olddays"whenwehadmorepoorkidsmixingwiththerich,butthishasgradually
faded with the changing educational landscape and socioeconomic profile of our
mainstudent"catchmentareas".DSSmaybeawayforustoregainthisinvaluable
function thatWYHKhas performed sowell for generations ofWahyanites and for
HongKonginthepast.
As for themorewell-off, theymay have an evenmore important lesson to learn
fromthosefromthegrassroots:thatofgratitude,humility,simplicity,toughness in
facing the many difficulties in life through gradual appreciation of the social and
economicprofileofthepopulationinHongKongthatissodifferentfromtheirown
ortheir immediatefamilycircle. Wiseparentswillknowthatthis ismorevaluable
thananyeducationmoneycanbuy.
3.2DSS-WYHKshouldchargeamodestfee:Notaschoolsolelyfortherich
21IntheyearsrightaftertheWWIIandturmoilinChinamorethan50yearsago,mostpeopleinHong
Kong were refugees. Social networks developed in mainland China have mostly broken down.
Education and hard work were thus keys to upwardmobility. The spirit of the Lion Rock was an
appropriate representation of that generation. However, times have changed. With the peaceful
development inthepast fewdecades inHongKong,newnetworksofrelationshipshavedeveloped
andgraduallybecomemoreentrenched.Accesstosuchnetworks,beingpartofsocialcapital,have
becomemoreimportantthesedaysinadditiontoagoodeducationandhardworkwhichsurelyare
stillimportant.
20
One obstacle to a DSS-WYHK in achieving this vision is the impression that DSS
schools are schools exclusively for the rich and privileged ("����"). In this
regard,theschoolwilladheretotheprinciplethat
"NostudentshouldbedeniedaplaceataDSS-WYHKsolelybecausehecannot
affordit"22.
Furthermore,tocountertheperceptionthatWYHKisaschoolexclusivelyfortherich
andprivileged("����")whichmaydeterthe lesswell-off fromapplying inthe
firstplace,theJesuitEducationBoardspecificallylaiddowntheparameterthatthe
schoolshouldchargeaschool fee that is significantly lower thanschoolsofsimilar
standing(e.g.$20,000orlessperyearincurrentterms)inits25Jan,2017meeting.
Othermeasures toencourage the lesswell-off toapply canbe found inChapter5
Section5.2.
Therehavebeenconcernsthatalowschoolfeemaynotbefinanciallyviableorthat
wemaynotbeascompetitiveasotherDSSschools.AshighlightedinChapter1,if
our class size is not smaller than the average of Aided secondary schools inHong
Kong,theschoolfeeincomealreadyrepresentsmoreorlessadditionalresourcesin
anaverageyear.AsforcomparisonwithotherDSSschools,asmentionedin2.3,we
areaimingatbuildingamorehumbleDSSschool.Assaid,webelievethataschool
environment which is too comfortable is actually counterproductive to personal
developmentduringtheadolescentstage.
Afterconsidering feedbacks inRoundOneConsultation, the JEBelaboratedon the
parameter on school fees as follows: The school should work on the basis of a
$20,000annual school fee,at “2016/17dollars”,butwecouldchargeahigher fee
(say$22,000to$23,000)forseniorformsgiventherearemoresubjectchoicesand
the average class sizes are smaller. In other words, the fee can be adjusted for
inflationinfuture.Besides,ifthereisagenuineneed,sayiftheschoolisrunninga
deficit,thenfeerevisioncanbeconsidered.
22FeeremissionsfortheneedywillincludesubsidiesforECAsandothercostsrelatedtostudyingata
DSS-WYHK.
21
3.3CuriaPersonalistoapplytothestafftoo
The Jesuit Education Board has specifically laid down the parameter that Cura
personalis as an ideal should apply to the staff aswell so it should be taken into
account when the school develops its HR policies. Cura personalis, roughly
translatedas "care for the individualperson"hasalwaysbeenahallmarkof Jesuit
education and was included as part of “The Characteristics of Jesuit Education”
(1986).
Of course, teachers and staff exist ultimately for supporting learning and
developmentofstudents.Thus,itisourhonoraswellasourresponsibilitytodeliver
qualityeducation. However, thisdoesnotmean that theschool shouldadopt the
management approach of some commercial enterprises which look at short term
gainsandtotallydisregardthehumanfactor.Thisisbadfornurturingastaffthatis
loyalanddedicated.
Infact,teacherswhoarebeingcaredforwillbemorelikelytohaveboththecapacity
and the enthusiasm to provide quality education that comes genuinely from their
hearts. It is thennot justanobligationbutacalling,anactualizationofwhatthey
findmeaningfulinlife.
22
Chapter4:ManagementandGovernance
4.1Currentgovernancestructure
IncorporatedManagementCommittee
TheSchoolisnowmanagedbytheIncorporatedManagementCommittee(IMC)of
WYHK.PursuanttotheEducationOrdinance,theIMCconsistsof
- SevenSchoolSponsoringBody(SSB)ManagersandanSSBAlternateManager
- ATeacherManagerandanAlternateTeacherManager
- AParentManagerandanAlternateParentManager
- AnAlumniManager
- AnIndependentManager
- ThePrincipalasexofficioManager
StaffMeeting(withoutthePrincipal)
Thisisauniqueinstitutionoftheschoolthatwasestablishedinthe1980s.Itsoffice
bearers include one Chairperson and one Secretary both of whom are elected by
members.ItsAims,asstatedinitsbylaw:
a) The Staff Meeting should be the communication channel between the School
authoritiesorthedifferentCommitteesandtheteachingandlaboratorystaffofthe
School.
b) The Staff Meeting should discuss and give opinions for common interests or
problems of the teaching and laboratory staff for the reference of the School
authoritiesortheCommittee(s)concerned.
SchoolAdvisoryCommittee
23
Establishedby the IMC to advise on and assist in planning and implementationof
schoolpolicy,theSchoolAdvisoryCommittee(SAC)consistsof
- ThePrincipal
- ThetwoVice-Principals
- theChairpersonoftheStaffMeeting
- threeelectedteacherrepresentatives
- oneparentrepresentativefromthePTA
- onealumnirepresentativefromthePSA
There are two more committees with school-wide oversight functions: the
AdministrativeCommittee(AC)andtheSchoolBettermentCommittee(SBC).While
they have their specific scope, with the former taking care of school-wide
administrative matters and the latter focusing on school self-evaluation and long
term planning, staff members can also channel their concerns to the School
authoritiesorfunctionalCommitteesthroughthem.
4.2CreationofAnAppealsCommittee
Inviewoftheconcernsraisedbyteachers,itisproposedthatanAppealsCommittee
willbecreatedtodealwithlayoffdecisionsbytheadministration.Teacherswillbe
invited to select among a choice of compositions endorsed by the JEB and that
amongthechoices,theremustbesomewhichconsistofteacherrepresentatives.
Twoexamplesofsuchchoicesare:
3-memberexample:
� Supervisor
� Anacademic in theFacultyof Educationof localUniversityORAnalumnus
whoiseitheralawyerorajudge
� Ateacherrepresentative(ateacherfromamongthepoolofelectedteacher
representativesatthetimenotobjectedtobyeitherparties)
24
5-memberexample:
� Supervisor
� AnacademicintheFacultyofEducationoflocalUniversity
� AmemberoftheJEBORaJesuitFather
� Analumnuswhoiseitheralawyerorajudge
� Teacher representative (a teacher from among the pool of elected teacher
representativesat the timenotobjected tobyeitherparties)OR theLegco
memberelectedfromtheeducationconstituencyORapersonnominatedby
thePTU
25
Chapter5:AdmissionofF.1students
5.1UpholdingourUniqueVisionwithEnduringRelevancetoStudents’Needs
Some stakeholders are concerned that by adoptingDSS,WYHK needs to abandon
ourvision(alongwithourtradition)andadoptthemethodsofsomeDSSschoolsin
HongKonginordertoattractfee-payingstudents.Quitetheopposite,theflexibility
andresourcesaffordedbyDSSactuallyprovidesuswithmoreflexibilitysothatitis
easierforustosticktoouruniquevaluesandapproach.
The very uniqueness of the Jesuit vision towards education, underpinned by a
sophisticatedand inspiringviewofhumanity, isalreadyembodied inour tradition,
ourvalues,ourschoolvision,theconceptofHumanExcellence,theexpectedprofile
ofgraduates,ourapproachtoeducation,includingouracademicprogramsandour
whole person development/ECA programs. When we ask what our alumni
rememberortreasureabouttheireducationatWahYan,theyoftencomeupwith
similaranswerswithprideandgratitude.Sowhatweneedtodoiftheschoolturns
DSS isnottoabandonourtradition,valuesandvisionandto inventnewones,but
rather,givenmoreflexibilityandamodestamountofextraresources,tostrengthen
themforthegreaterbenefitofthefuturegenerationsofWahyanites.
ItiseasyyetmistakentoseeallDSSschools,oratleastthoseDSSschoolswithalong
tradition, as the same. DSS schools differ greatly in terms of religious affiliation,
vision, tradition, core values, learning& teaching approach, location, campus, etc.
This diversity actually echoes a key ideaunderpinningDSS, that of its flexibility to
allowdevelopmentofagreatervarietyofschoolswithdifferentcontextsandvisions.
TherehavebeenconcernsthatifitturnsDSS,WYHKwillneedtoabandonitsunique
valuesandapproachandadoptthoseofsomeAided-turned-DSSschoolswhichare
regardedbysomeintheWahYancommunityasbeing“un-Wah-Yan”.However,the
selectedexamplesofacertaingroupofhighprofileDSSschoolsdonotmeanthatall
otherDSSschoolswill,orneedtoadoptthesamestrategywhentheyturnDSS.In
fact,thestyleofmanyAided-turned-DSSschoolsisacontinuationfromtheirAided
26
days.Theessenceoftheirapproachhasneverchanged.Thereareampleexamples
ofDSSschoolswhichhavedifferentvisionsandstyles,upholddifferentvalues,and
adopt different teaching and student development approaches and are also very
successful.
Withouruniquevisiontowardseducationwhichhasenduringrelevancetostudents’
needs,weareconfident thatwecanattractsufficientapplicationsbyparentswith
foresight without the need to resort to practices which betray our values. Please
refertoAppendix6foracomparisontableofDSSschoolswithsimilarbackgrounds
toWYHK. Given that a) the school fees of these schools range from $19,900 to
$68,000 and b) our unique vision towards education and developmental
environment,WYHKshouldremainveryattractivetoparentswithafeeof$20,000
orlower.Thus,concernsabouttheschoolbendingtowardsunreasonabledemands
outoffinancialconsiderationsseemunjustified.Itcanbeassumedthatparentswho
aspiretohavesonseducatedatWYHKappreciateourapproachandstylesandare
willingtoworkhandinhandwiththeschoolalongthisline.
5.2Attractinglesswell-offstudents
ItisourintentiontomakeuseoftheflexibilityprovidedbytheDSStoattractmore
lesswell-offstudentstoapply.However,thereareconcernsaboutitsfeasibility.The
followingaresomeofthewaysproposed:
a. Theschoolwilladheretotheprinciplethat“nostudentwillbedeniedaplace
solely because he cannot afford it”. To uphold this principle, the school will
makeprovisionsinitsbudgetbeyondtheminimum10%feeremissionrequired
by the government, such as an additional 15%. We shall also seek alumni
pledges for supportof theneedy.Manyalumniappreciate the Jesuit visionof
serving the poor and the neglected. Some of them have actually been
beneficiariesofthisvisionand/orgenerosityoftheirWahyaniteSiHing.
b. Feeremission is tobegrantedbasedon family finances (asbursaries)andnot
outstandingacademic/non-academicperformance. It is tobegranted for the
whole period of studies if the financial background remains the same. The
schoolwillprovide,inaddition,scholarshipsbasedonoutstandingperformance
butthisissomethingseparate.
27
c. Full or partial subsidy for fees for ECA will also be provided to the needy.
Subsidies for learning support (e.g. referencebooks, computer, etc.) andeven
transportationforstudentslivingfarfromtheschoolcanbeconsideredthough
howthiscanbeimplementedrequiresinputsfromstakeholders.
d. Thecriteriaforfeeremissionandvarioussubsidieswillbeclearlyspeltoutand
applicantscanbecertainaboutthesefinancialsupportsearlyatthestagewhen
theyarejustconsideringwhethertoapplyornot.Anonlinecalculatorusedby
someDSSschoolsisapracticethatwillbeadopted.
e. Therewillbeactivepromotiontoschools,communitycentersandchurches in
differentdistrictsthroughF.1AdmissionTalks.
f. Principal's recommendation schemes for lesswell-off P.6 students canalsobe
considered.
g. The School will provide different levels of fee remission depending on the
students’ family income. Thus, a significant percentage of students will get
someformoffeeremission.Thiswillmitigatethestigmaonpoorstudents.
h. “Gratitude” will be one of the key attitudes we want to inculcate among
students,sothatastudentwhocanaffordthefullfeeshouldfeelgratefulrather
than proud. As for the less well-off who enjoys fee remission, there are
concernsthattheymayfeelinferior.Heretheschoolshouldinculcateahealthy
senseofself-worth:allofusneedhelponewayoranother.Dignitybuiltonthe
belief that we never need help is actually dangerous. So instead of feeling
inferiororevenshamefulwhenweneedhelp,thehealthierattitudeisgratitude
andthecommitmentto“payitforward”byhelpingothersinneed.
i. Free summer English courses and/or personal growth programs for primary
schoolstudents(P.4andP.5)fromgrassrootsfamiliesrecommendedbyprimary
schoolprincipalscanbeorganizedatWYHKwithsupportbyvolunteeralumni,
students and parents. The purpose is to make Wah Yan more accessible to
primary students from different districts, to help less well-off students to
prepare for theirS1applications,and to letmore students (and theirparents)
appreciateJesuiteducation/valueswhethertheywilleventuallybeadmittedor
not.
j. Family financial background (in favorof the lesswell-off) canbe a tie-breaker
(for cases with same overall admission standing) in the admission system.
However, inputs from stakeholders are needed on how to address different
problemsinimplementingthispolicyinpractice.
28
5.3FeeRemissionModels
Thefollowingmodelswereproposed:
ModelA23
BasedstrictlyonStudentFinancialAssistanceAgency(SFAA)standards:
i)Fullfeeremission
Students receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or full subsidy
fromSFAAwillbeentitled.Asanexample, fora4-person familywith twoparents
andtwokids,theannualincomeshouldnotexceed$209,120.
ii)Halffeeremission
Students receivinghalf subsidy fromSFAAwillbeentitled.Asanexample, fora4-
personfamilywithtwoparentsandtwokids,theannualincomeshouldbebetween
$209,120and$363,055.
ModelB
BasedonincomelevelrequirementssomewhatmoregenerousthanSFAAstandards:
i)Fullfeeremission
StudentsreceivingCSSAorwhosefamilieshaveanincomeuptoalevelmoderately
higherthanthemaximumallowedforfullsubsidyfromSFAA.Asanexample,fora
4-person family with two parents and two kids, the annual income should not
exceed$240,000.
ii)Halffeeremission
Studentswhose familieshavean incomeup toa levelmoderatelyhigher than the
maximumallowedforhalfsubsidyfromSFAA.Asanexample,fora4-personfamily
withtwoparentsandtwokids,theannualincomeshouldbebetween$240,001and
$432,000.23ThisisthemodeladoptedbyYingWaCollege.TheschoolfeeofYingWain2016/17is$18,800.
29
ModelAistheonewidelyusedtoassessfinancialneedsofstudentsevenforschool
feeshigherthantheoneweareproposing.Weproposethat,asastart,weshould
beprudentandadoptthisModel.However,whenthefinancialsituationallowsin
futureorwhenwefindwearenotattractingenoughstudentswhocouldenjoyfee
remissions,theschoolshouldconsiderswitchingtoamoregenerousarrangement
likeModelB.
5.4AdmissionPolicies
PUWYgraduates:
AssumingwesubmitaDSSapplicationand itgetsapprovedbyEDB, thechanceof
those students who are already studying in as well as those having applied for
admissiontoPUWYatthetimeofannouncementofDSSapprovalforbeingadmitted
toWYHKwill notbe affected. School feeswill applybasedonEDBpolicybut fee
remissionwillbeavailablefortheneedy. ThefollowingisadirectquotefromEDB
document:
Ifapprovedto jointheDSS,thefeederandnominatedsecondaryschoolshavethe
obligation to continue to reserve an appropriate percentage of their Secondary 1
places for the students already studying in as well as those having applied for
admissiontotheirfeederandnominatedprimaryschools…However,thesestudents
will be required to pay the DSS school fees charged by the secondary school.”
(“AdministrativeProcedures forStudentAdmissiontoDirectSubsidyScheme(DSS)
Schools Participating in the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System”,
Point8)
Thiswillimplyatransitionalperiodof6to7years.Tocontinuetomaintainaspecial
and close relationship between the two schools after this transitional period, and
after taking into account comments by different stakeholders and concerns raised
byPUDArepresentatives,wereviseourproposedadmissionarrangementasfollows:
30
(i) WYHK will admit directly all students ranked 55th or higher (with no
replacementforlowerranksifsomechoosenottotakeuptheoffer).
(ii) Forthoseranked56thto80th,theywillbeofferedthechanceforinterviews
along with applicants from other primary schools. However, these PUAWYPS
graduates will be given bonus marks to recognize their background of Jesuit
education.
(iii) TofacilitatePUAWYPStosettleinitsnewschooldistrict,WYHKwillprovide
anextrathreeyearsupontheinitialsixtransitionalyearsenjoymentofthecurrent
statusquoarrangement,i.e.,enrollingthefirstranking79P.6studentsofPUAWYPS.
Thisarrangementprovides:
• AsenseofsecurityforPUAWYPSanditsprospectiveparentsthatthereis
asizableguaranteedquotaforPUAWYPSgraduates(currentparentsand
evenprospectiveparentsinthecomingthreeyearswillnotbeaffectedat
all, given the extended transitional period proposed in response to
PUDA’sconcerns);
• Otherprimaryschoolswillhaveareasonablechanceforbeingadmitted
aswell;
• When PUAWYPS students become even better than before, thenmore
fromthegroupranked56thto80thwillbeadmitted,thusthehardwork
ofPUAWYPSteacherswillberecognized.
• Non-academic achievements and qualities will be considered for those
ranked56thto80th.Thissteerstheadmissioncriteriaawayfromapure
considerationofacademicachievementsunderthecurrentfeedersystem
(which may have caused some parents to request their sons not to
participate in ECA and focus on their studies in P.5 and P.6 to the
detriment of these students’ healthy development). The emphasis on
wholepersondevelopmentunderJesuiteducationcanbereaffirmed.
• Thisnewsystem is fairerasadmission isbasedonstudents’ownmerit,
notthepre-S1assessmentdoneinpreviousyearsbytheirseniors.Inthe
oldsystem,iftherearemoreeligiblestudentsthanplaces(probablythe
31
Band2students),thenarandomnumberwilldeterminewhocangetinto
WYHKornotsosomeonewhorankslowermaygetinwhileanotherwho
ranks higher may not. The current system eliminates this unfair
randomness.
• Withthetop55plusalikelyfew(e.g.5ormore)fromthoseranked56th
to 80th admitted toWYHK, the total admittedwill likely be 60 or even
more.Withagraduatingcohortof120inrecentyears,thepercentageof
PUAWYPSstudentsadmittedwilllikelybe50%orhigher.Thisisnoworse,
and could even be better than the situation in 2013 or earlier for
PUAWYPSwhenthegraduatingcohortswerearound160competingfora
quotaof79(49.4%).
• With a very outstanding graduating cohort, the number admitted can
evenbeashighas80.
It is unfortunate that some see the quota adjustment as a win-lose arrangement
wheninfactitiswin-win.TheDSSpropositionofWYHKcanprovidekeybenefitsto
PUAWYPSonat least twocounts:a)Somechallenges thatWYHKseeks toaddress
are results of the inflexibility of the current feeder arrangement under the aided
mode(whichhasnothingtodowithteachingqualityofPUAWYPSorthatofWYHK).
DSS is a way to tackle this while still maintaining a close link between the two
schools, thus addressing concerns of some stakeholders who are advocating the
delinking option. b) The provisions under DSS will strengthen WYHK’s quality of
education and open up newpossibilities for the school’s development in the long
run.With a significant number of graduates whowill continue to be admitted to
WYHK after it turns DSS under the proposed arrangements above, the enhanced
long-termprospectofWYHKwillhavelastingpositiveimpactonPUAWYPSaswell.
32
Non-PUWYGraduates:
TogivefairerchanceforNon-PUWYprimarystudentsaspiringtostudyatWYHK,the
School will recruit male students from all districts using the same set of criteria
whichistobedevelopedbasedonthatadoptedforourcurrentDPadmission.This
setofcriteria isholistic innatureand takes intoaccountbothacademicaswellas
non-academic attributes such as personality, conduct, service attitude, religious
affiliation,contributiontofellowstudentsintheprimaryschool,“communitybuilder”
attributes,potentialsinnon-academic,whole-persondevelopmentareas,etc.
However,concernshavebeenraisedthatECAachievementasacriterionmight
favourfamilieswiththemeans.Ourviewisthatwhileweshallnotignoreentirely
considerationofECAachievementasthisreflectsourrecognitionoftheimportance
ofwholepersondevelopmentthatismuchmorethanacademicachievementand
classroomlearning,weproposetoaddressthedilemmainthisway:
a)AquotalimitwillbesetforplacesthatconsiderEACachievements/potentials.
b)EvenforthoseplaceswhichconsiderECAachievements,academicachievements
andpotentialswillstillmakeupsignificantpercentagesinthetotalscore.
AdmissionofSENstudents
We are currently admitting special educational needs (SEN) students. This is
consistent with the vision of helping the marginalized. It is also an important
learningopportunityfornon-SENstudentsasarangeofvaluablepersonalattributes
canbenurturedthroughtheirdaytodaycontactwithSENfellowstudents(mutual
understanding, compassion, gratitude, justice, self-control, etc.). However, we
wouldliketohaveanumberthatismanageablesothatthoseadmittedcanreceive
effectivesupport. Weshalldetermine thisnumber regularlybasedona reviewof
ourcapacitiesandeffectivenessofoursupporttoexistingSENstudents.
33
Chapter6:ClassStructure,CurriculumandStudentDevelopment
6.1Classstructure
WYHK is allowed tooperate 4 classes per level and it is unlikely that the EDBwill
allowtheschooltooperatemoreclasses.Currently,tocaterforlearnerdiversityin
junior forms, teachingofChinese,EnglishandMatharedone in smallerclassesby
dividing the 4 classes into 6 to 8 groups. The extra manpower is supported by
WYOFF.
Underpresentarrangements,toallowforsmallerclassesinseniorformsandgreater
choiceofelectivecombinations,seniorformsaredividedinto5classeseventhough
government funding isbasedon4 classes.Theextra resources for this come from
theJesuitEducationTrustatWYHKwhichismuchsmallerinsizethanthatofWYOFF
andhasnostableincomeforsustainedsupportofthisseniorformarrangement.
IfWYHKturnsDSS,theadditionalfundingwillallowtheschooltohiremoreteachers
to support across-the-form smaller classes (i.e. dividing the4 classes into5 across
theboard24) so thatmorepersonal care forour students ispossible forall subject
teachersandformteachers.Asforwhether,andifyeshow,currentsplitclassesin
junior forms should be modified, we shall seek professional inputs from relevant
subjectpanels.
Toprovideroomformaneuverincaseofuncertainstudentintake,theschoolwould
applyforalarger“maximum”classsize(upto41perclassbasedon4classes(EDB
establishment)) but the “target” class size will be smaller (apart from also being
taughtin5classes,not4):
� Currentclasssize:36X4Classes
� MaximumclasssizeunderDSS:41X4Classesor32.8X5Classes
24Thisformofsmallerclasses,pluslessenhancementclassescanalsoreducetraveltimeofjunior
studentsbetweenclassrooms.
34
� Target average class size under DSS: 35.63 X 4 Classes or 28.525X 5
Classes
6.2Curriculum
DSS schools are required to offer the local curriculum to the majority of their
students.However,theyhavetheflexibilitytooffernon-localcurriculumfortherest
oftheirstudents. Non-localcurriculumscommonlyofferedbyDSSschools inHong
Kong include theGCEand the IBcurriculum. GCE isacurriculummore familiar to
teachersinHongKongwhileIBisratherdifferentandcostly.Torunthelatter,DSS
schoolsneedtochargeextrafromtheirstudents. Inanycase,toruntwoormore
curriculumsinparallelinaschoolofWYHK’ssize(withonly4establishmentclasses
perform)canbechallengingunlesstheneedclearlyjustifiesthis.Weproposethat
the desirability and feasibility of offering non-DSE curriculum should not be
consideredduringthefirstfewyearsofswitchingtoDSSwhenoureffortsshouldbe
focusedonadaptingtothisnewmodeofoperation.
Forjuniorforms,ourcurrent3-yearSchoolDevelopmentPlanisfocusedon
developingstudentsintoself-directedlearnersthroughstimulationofintellectual
curiosity,skillstraining,andhabitformation.Withmoreresources,weshallhave
themeanstodevelopaschool-basedprogrammesothatalljuniorformWahyanites
willgothrough.
6.3SchoolEthos
While our School vision, the Vision of Jesuit education worldwide, as well as our
traditionwill continue to form thebasisofour approach,with the introductionof
DSS,theschoolwillpayparticularattentioninpromotingthefollowing:
- Unityindiversity,brotherhood,andsenseofcommunity
25JuniorForms:32X5Classes;SeniorForms:25X5Classes.
35
- Gratitudeandhumility
- Simplicityandtoughnessinfacingdifficulties/adversities
- Importanceofthenon-materialandspiritualdimensioninlife
- MenforandwithOthers,andHumanExcellence
Many programmeswe are nowdoing are alreadyworking towards these values.
With more resources for additional manpower some of these might even be
strengthened or with the current heavy workload of our staff slightly alleviated.
Such existing programmes include WAMFO (mandatory requirement to perform
community service), Ignatian Value Education, student retreats, a host of team
activities and competitions (but with more manpower support, more emphasis
could be placed on quality and reflections on / learning from experience rather
than quantity), scouting, red cross, debate, drama, school publications, just to
nameafew.
New initiativesmay also be considered, such as day/weekof "solidaritywith the
neglected/marginalizedinHongKong,China,andtheworld",policythatrequiresall
studentstotakepublictransport(andwalkuptheWahYanstairs/slope)toschool
everyday, program for cleaning up of the campus or even the lavatories (with
support by student development staff so that there is sufficient briefing and
debriefing to make such experiences learning opportunities), practice of
mindfulnessinadditiontoexamen,etc.
6.4CampusandFacilities
GivenextraresourcesfromDSS,itwillnowbepossibletobetteraddresstheurgent
andlongtermneedsforvenuesandfacilities.Somepossibleareasforimprovements
andupgradesinclude:
- BettersupportforeffectiveandefficientclassroomteachingwithITandAV
equipmentupgradesandadditionalmanpowersupport
- UpgradeofISLab
36
- Enhancement of the library, making it a key component in self-directed
learning
- ITnetworkandsystemssupport
- Moreproper-sizeclassroomswithproperclassroomsettings26(withpossible
reductioninclasssizeandincreaseinnumberofclassesperform)
- Moreresourcestoimprovegeneralupkeep,maintenance,andmanagement
ofcampusandfacilities
- Keepingthetreesandourpreciousnaturalenvironmentsafeandbeautiful
- General office/staffroom expansion for increased headcount and possible
redesignthatcatersforbothprivacyandcommunitybuilding
26Forexample,suitabilityofusingthelecturetheatresasclassroomsshouldbereviewed.
37
Chapter7:Staffing–HRpolicies,WorkingconditionsandRetainingGoodTeachers/Staff
7.1CurrentRegularEstablishment("permanent")Staff
The employment condition of all current staff in the Regular Establishment (RE)
should remain unchanged including conditions governing salary adjustments
(followingthegovernmentMPS),annualpointincrementuptotherankmaximum,
andthatthereisnoneedforannualrenewalofcontract.Itisunderstoodthatthose
whoarealreadyintheGrantsSchoolsProvidentFund(GS-PF)schemecancontinue
withthisschemeuntilretirement.
Theschoolshouldprovideapermanentstaffestablishment(intermsofnumberof
positionsfordifferentrankssuchasPGM,SGM,GM,etc.)thatisatleastasgoodas
orevenbetterthanthecurrentprovisionsundertheaidedmode.
This establishment of staff with permanent contracts will not shrink when
permanent teachers retire. Instead, their positions will be allocated to contract
teachers so that they can have the opportunity to join the rank of permanent
teachers.
7.2New/CurrentNon-RegularEstablishment("contract")teachers
To be consistent with the Cura Personalis approach of the Jesuits, to attract and
retain good teachers, and to balance the need for a period of formation and
observation,aclearpathwayofprogressionfromshorttermtopermanentcontract
theconditionofwhichissimilartocurrentREteachersshouldbeestablished.
After listening to concerns expressed by contract and permanent teachers, the
proposedmodelisamendedasfollows:
A 1+2 model is to be adopted for contract teachers who, upon satisfactory
completionofthe3-yearperiod,willbeputona“queue”forpermanentposts.The
number of permanent posts will be identical or slightly more than regular posts
38
available in the staff establishment of an aided school of the same size. Contract
teachers will then need to wait for vacancies. Once there are vacancies, those
alreadyinthequeuewillautomaticallybegiventhepermanentposts inturn. This
methodbalancesthesenseofinsecurityamongcontractteacherswhodesirestobe
confirmedoftheirsuitabilityearlyandfinancialprudencefortheschool. Theissue
ofhaving“twotypesofteachers”canbesolvedbecauseallcontractteacherswho
prove themselves to be suitable within 3 years will one day become permanent
teachers.
7.3Non-graduatetrackteachers
IntheAidedsector,therearetwotracksintheRE:GraduateTrack(GM,SGM,PGM)
andNon-graduateTrack (CM,AM,SAM). Given thatnearlyall teachersnowadays
possessat least aBachelors’Degree, thisdistinction isoutofdate. Flexibility and
extra resources fromDSSprovideanopportunity toaddress this. Indoingso, it is
noted that the duties of teachers in these two tracks are not entirely the same.
Teachers' input will be important as we ponder on how the modified staff
establishmentshouldlooklikewhentheNon-graduatetrackisbeingabolished.
AfterbalancingtheviewsexpressedinRoundOneConsultatioin,itisproposedthat:
(a) Degree-holdernon-graduateteacherswhoarealreadyperformingdutiesof
GMswillautomaticallybeofferedtheGMrank.
(b) Degree-holdernon-graduatetrackteacherswhoarenotperformingdutiesof
GMscanopttoeither(i)stayintheNon-graduatetrackwithnochangein
workloadandjobnature(e.g.teachingseniorforms)butwiththesalaryceiling
increasedby2pointstorecognizethedegreequalification;or(ii)migratetothe
Graduatetrackiftheyarewillingtochangetheirworkloadandjobnatureto
thoseofaGM’s.
39
7.4Jobsecurity
Itisaconcernofsometeachersthatjobsecuritymaybereducedwithtransitionto
DSS.Whileitisproposedthatproceduresandcriteriafordisciplineactions(suchas
issuingofwarningsanddismissals)intheCodeofAidwillalsoapplytoaDSS-WYHK,
thereisstillaconcernrelatingtotheroleofthePermanentSecretaryforEducation
indismissals. Under theCodeofAid, thePermanentSecretarywill look into such
casestoseeifthedecisionhasfollowedpropercriteriaandprocedures.Thereisno
suchprovisiononthepartofthePermanentSecretaryunderDSS.Whilethisdoes
notimplythattheEDBwillnotbeconcernedorthatitwillnottakeactionagainsta
DSS school for cases of unreasonable dismissals, its role is not as clear as that
providedintheCodeofAid.
It must be clarified that the Code of Aid does not forbid Aided schools from
dismissing RE teachers with disciplinary issues. It just means the Permanent
Secretary reviews whether the procedure and criteria are being followed in the
process. No matter what, this distinction between DSS and aided schools is
perceived by some teachers as of a major concern. How this concern can be
addressedisoneoftheissuesthattheconsultationexercisewouldliketoaddress.
AppealsCommittee
Afterconsideringthemattercarefullyandlisteningtodifferentviewsbyteachers,it
isproposedthatanAppealsCommitteewillbecreatedtodealwithlayoffdecisions
by the administration. Teachers will be invited to select among a choice of
compositionsendorsedbytheJEBandthatamongthechoices,theremustbesome
whichconsistofteacherrepresentatives.
Twoexamplesofsuchchoicesare:
3-memberexample:
� Supervisor
40
� Anacademic in theFacultyof Educationof localUniversityORAnalumnus
whoiseitheralawyerorajudge
� Ateacherrepresentative(ateacherfromamongthepoolofelectedteacher
representativesatthetimenotobjectedtobyeitherparties)
5-memberexample:
� Supervisor
� AnacademicintheFacultyofEducationoflocalUniversity
� AmemberoftheJEBORaJesuitFather
� Analumnuswhoiseitheralawyerorajudge
� Teacher representative (a teacher from among the pool of elected teacher
representativesat the timenotobjected tobyeitherparties)OR theLegco
memberelectedfromtheeducationconstituencyORapersonnominatedby
thePTU
Appraisalsystem
Reports fromquite a number of groups in the staff discussion sessionon 10Mar,
2017 suggested that the school should improve its staff appraisal system.
Presumably,thiswillincreasetransparencyandobjectivityonhoweachstaffisbeing
evaluated, and, in so doing, reduce the staff's concern that major personnel
decisions(e.g.promotionsanddisciplinaryactions)arebeingunfair.Weappreciate
these comments and believe that the school should always be open to
improvementsinthisarea,whetherweturnDSSornot.
Financialinstabilityleadingtoconcernsaboutjobsecurity
Thehypotheticalcaseofthestaffbeingrequiredtocuttheirsalariesorevenbeing
laidoffifwedonothavesufficientenrolmentofstudentshasbeenraisedbysome
peopleandthishascertainlycausedalarmamongsomestaff.However,thosewho
conjecture such an extreme scenario have missed a number important facts and
factors.
41
Firstly,theJEBwillbeopentofeerevisionsiftherearegenuineneeds,suchaswhen
theschoolrunsintostructuraldeficit,tocovertheshortfall.Curapersonalisforthe
staff beingoneof theparameters setby JEB, it is unthinkable that the schoolwill
resorttopaycutsandlayoffstodealwithdeficits.
It is alsoworth noting that during the transitional period of the first five years of
switching to DSS, the government will ensure that we will not receive less
governmentsubsidyascomparedtothecaseifweareaided.Thatis,itwillmakeup
anyshortfallingovernmentfundingduringthisperiod.
In fact, theschoolshouldbeabletoaccumulatereservesovertheyearsandthese
(togetherwithotherprivatefundsoftheschool)willprovidecomfortablebufferfor
theschooleveniftheextremelyunlikely“worstcasescenario”happens.
To consider this extreme “worst case scenario” further, let us ask ourselves these
questions:
a) What is the risk of this happening vs. the other risks and challenges we have
explored including students’ SES, learner diversity/EMI status and need for extra
resources in various aspects of the school? What does the actual experience of
otherDSSschools,includingmanywhicharelessreputablethanWYHK,tellusabout
thelikelihoodofthis“worstcasescenario”happeningtoWYHK?
b)IfWYHKcanbecomethisunpopularevenwithadditionalresources,howcanwe
assumethatWYHKcandobetterifweremainaided?Andwilljobsbesecureunder
this“worstcasescenario”,evenifweareanaidedschool?
7.5WorkloadandTeachingQuality
Whileourteachersareverydedicatedandhardworking,itisundeniablethatiftheir
time can be used in a more focused way by reducing the number of tasks and
increasing administrative staff / TA support for non-teaching duties, the quality of
teaching and the extent that teachers find meaning in what they are doing will
increase. This is not just for their benefit, but also for our students. Thus, it is
intendedthatthemajorityoftheadditionalresourcesfromDSSshouldgotohiring
42
moreteachersandsupportingstafftosharethetasks.Forexample,thenumberof
periodsperweekmaybeslightlyreduced(leavingmoretimeforlessonpreparations
andassignmentmarkings)andthechancetoteachfewer“syllabi”27.
There aredifferent sources ofworkload including lessonsperweak,marking load,
lessonpreparationload,pupil-teacherratio,amountofandadminsupportfornon-
teachingduties,etc.PleaserefertoTable3fortherelationshipbetweenschoolfee
levelandapproximateaveragelessonsperweekandpupil-teacherratio.
7.6Otherissuesrelatingtoemploymentandworkingconditions
GiventheflexibilityunderDSS,thereareopportunitiestomodifycurrentconditions
providedanoptimalbalancewithotherfactorscanbestruck.Somepolicieswhich
areproposedunderDSS includemedical scheme to staff, spouseanddependents,
moreflexiblespecialleavearrangements,sabbaticalleaveforlongservingstaff.
ForteacherswhocanonlyhaveanMPFratherthanaprovidentfund(PF)account,
the schoolwill still contribute itspart as if the staff isworking in anaided school.
That is, it will increase its percentage contribution based on the number of years
servedfollowingthesameformulaforaidedschools.
Regarding retirement arrangements for teachers, we note that there are indeed
good teachers whose service we treasure and would like to retain beyond their
retirement age. However, itmust be introduced in away thatwill not affect the
promotion prospect of junior staff members. One way is to offer eligible retiring
teachersashortterm(renewable)contractwithalowersalary(e.g.mid-pointofGM
payforthoseperformingGMduties)andthepermanentpost(andifapplicable,the
promotionalpost) vacated shouldbeoffered to younger teachingmembersof the
school.
27Lesssubjectsand/orlesslevelsforthesamesubject.
43
Chapter8:FeelevelsandFinance
DSSschoolsreceivegovernmentsubsidybasedonthenumberofstudentsenrolled.
Basically,theperunitsubsidyforaDSSsecondaryschoolisequaltotheaverageunit
costofasecondaryschoolstudentinHongKong.Asschoolswithlongerhistoryhas
ahigheraverageunitcost,thegovernmentadoptsa"Two-AgeCategorySystem"so
that schools with 16 years' history or above will be entitled to a higher per unit
subsidy. Thisaverageunitcost takes intoaccountall thegrants receivedbyaided
secondaryschoolsexceptthosegrantsthattheDSSschoolswillreceiveseparately:
"ThegovernmentsubsidypayabletoDSSsecondaryschoolsiscalculatedintermsoftheaverageunitcostofanaidedsecondaryplace.Subsidieseligibletoaidedschoolswill also be eligible to DSS schools. Some of the grants (such as Salary Grant,ProvidentFund,OperatingExpensesBlockGrant,OtherChargesandSubjectGrants,DepreciationofFurniture&EquipmentandAmortisationofMajorRepairs,etc.)aresubsumed to the DSS subsidy. Others, such as the School-based Support SchemeGrant and Capacity Enhancement Grant are payable to eligible DSS schoolsseparately.(GovernmentSubsidyforDirectSubsidyScheme(DSS)SecondarySchools,
p.2)
DSSschoolshavetheflexibilitytochargeaschoolfee.Unlessthelevelisexceedingly
high28,thesubsidyperstudentbythegovernmentwillnotbereduced.Theschool
feechargedbyDSSschoolsinHongKongrangesfrom$0toabout$80,000peryear.
ForSeniorFormStreamteachingtheIBP,thefeescanbeevenhigher.
Ascomparison,the“TongFai”chargedbyAidedschoolsistypicallyseveralhundred
dollarsperyearwhileschoolfeeschargedbyprivateorinternationalschoolsrange
fromaround$100,000toover$300,000peryear.
8.1Factorstoconsiderwhendeterminingtheschoolfee
Intermsofschoolfeelevel,thefactorstoconsiderinclude:
• Amount of extra resources available to improve the quality of education and
staffworkingconditions.
28Thisisadjustedannuallyandinrecentyearsabove$100,000peryear.
44
• Thepercentageofstudentswhocanbenefitfromfeeremission–thehigherthe
fee, the more resources are available for fee remission for the less well-off
students.
• Financialstabilityandstakeholders'confidence– thehigher the fee, the lower
thefinancialrisk,andthegreatertheconfidencetoparentsandstaffintermsof
stabilityandlongtermsustainabledevelopment.
• Parentexpectations–thehigherthefee,thegreatertheexpectation.
• The image of the school – some argue that the fee level is an indication of
qualitysothehigherthefee,thehighertheperceivedqualityoftheschool.On
theotherhand,othersarguethatthehigherthefee,themore"exclusive"(��)
the schoolwill appear. Thismaydeter students fromgrassroots families from
applying.
• Theamountofreservetobeaccumulatedovertimetoprovideabufferagainst
financial instability and/or endowment for purposes such as worthwhile
educational/staff formation projects, major campus development projects,
financial support schemes for needy students, etc. – the higher the fee, the
quickerthecontingencyreservecanbebuiltup.
8.2Feestructure
AfterRoundOneConsultation,itisproposedthattheschoolfeesbesetasfollows:
• Juniorforms:$20,00029peryear
• Seniorforms:$23,000peryear
8.3Scenarioassumptions(atsteadystate)
Assumptions:
1.25%arereservedforfeeremissionsfortheneedywith10%assunkasrequiredby
theEDB,and15%asadditionalbudgetreleasableifunusedafter2years.
2.Averageprovidentfundforteacherstobecontributedbytheschoolassumedto
be12%ofteachersalary30.
3. Contingency to cover shortfall in subsidy under DSS as compared to grants
receivedundertheaidedmode31:$2,500,000peryear.
29Basedon2016/17Dollars
30Budgetforestablishmentteachersin2016/17isabout$36.8M.
45
4.Annualdonationsreceived:$0
5.NetadditionalDSSincometobeallocated:
a)60%onadditionalteachingstaffandstaffbenefits.
b)40%onadditional
� staffandprogramsforstudentsupport/development
� administrativesupport
� campusandfacilitiesmaintenance,managementanddevelopment
� reserveaccumulationforfuturecontingencies
6. Additional teachers employed with extra resources from DSS school fees are
assumedtobedividedintothreebroadcategories:
a)Contractteacheraveragemonthlysalary:$40,000
b)SeniororNETteachersaveragemonthlysalaryof$77,000.
7. Four Classes (EDB establishment) split into five (WYHK implementation) for all
Forms. Note thatWYOFF annual fundinghas not been factored intoour financial
model.Ifitisfactoredin,theconditionwillbeevenmorefavorable.
Basedontheseassumptions,thenunderthethreedifferentscenarios,theamount
ofadditionalresourcesforeachbroadcategorycanbefoundinthefollowingTable:
31Overallspeaking,thereshouldnotbeasignificantnetshortfallornetgainoverthelongrunforan
"average" DSS school as the DSS per unit subsidy covers all the relevant costs, calculated as an
average, that Hong Kong aided secondary schools receive. See quotation from EDB document
(“GovernmentSubsidyforDirectSubsidyScheme(DSS)SecondarySchools”)onp.40.However,there
areschool-specificfactorswhichmaycausetheschooltohaveahigherorlowerperunitcosts.One
factoroftenmentionedistheseniorityofteachers.Aschoolwithteacherswhohavemoreteaching
experiencemayhaveahigherperunitcost. Thegovernmenthaspartly takenthis intoaccountby
havinga"two-agecategorysystem"sothatschoolswith16years'historywillhaveahigherperunit
subsidy.
When arriving at this contingency provision, a simulation based on our 2016/17 budget has been
done.PleaseseeAppendix7.OnemaynotethatbasedoncurrentstudentenrolmentatWYHK,the
subsidyshortfallis$1,990,776.However,basedonourtargetenrolment(givenweshallsplit4classes
(EDBestablishment)into5classes(WYHKimplementation)acrosstheboard),therewillactuallybea
surplusof$1,059,582.Soprovisionof$2,500,000isrelativelyprudent.
46
Table3:Scenarioatsteadystateafterthe6-yeartransitionalperiod(figurestobeverified)
Schoolfee(peryear)
Grossfeeincomeattargetaverageclasssize
Netfeeincome(afterfeeremission,provisionsforsubsidyshortfallunderDSSfundingmodel,donations)
Usageofnetincomecollected Extrateachersemployed* EstimatedAveragelessonsperweekforteachers**(figureifWYOFFfundingcontinues)
EstimatedPupil-teacherratio**(figureifWYOFFfundingcontinues)
Amountonteachingstaffandadditionalstaffbenefits(60%)
Others(AdditionalallocationtoStudentsupport/development,adminsupport,campus/facilities,reserve)(40%)
No.ofadditionalcontractteachers
No.ofadditionalseniororNETteachers
$20,000(F.1-3)$23,000(F.4-6)
$18,225,000 $11,200,000 $6,720,000� $4,480,000� 12 1 23.6(21.8)
13.7(11.8)
*ThenumberofteachersinadditiontoprovisionsundertheAidedmode.Otherprivately-fundedposts(suchasthosefundedbyWYOFF)arenotassumedhere.Suchdonationsandprivatefundingcouldfurtherimprovethecondition.
**Asacomparison(andassumingnoWYOFFfundingasinthismodelforthesakeofprudence),ifweremainaided,a)thelessonsperweekwillgouptobetween26.6(nosplitclassesinjuniorforms)and30.3(sameextentofsplitclassinjuniorformsascurrentlypracticed)andb)thepupil-teacherratiowillbe16.8.
47
Chapter9:ConsultationofStakeholders
9.1Pre-consultationProposalDevelopmentStage(Done)
March2017hasbeendevotedtodevelopingtheformalDSSproposal forconsultationbasedonaproposalskeleton("beta"version).Inputsfromteachersandcoremembersofstakeholdershadbeensolicited.
9.2FormalConsultation(Round1)(Done)
TheRoundOneConsultationlastedfourmonthsfrom13April,2017to15August,2017.PleaserefertotheInterimConsultationReportavailableonourwebsite.
9.3FormalConsultation(Round2)
TheRoundTwoConsultationwill commenceon12October,2017with releaseof theInterim Consultation Report and the Revised Consultation Document/Proposal.Consultation Sessionswill be arranged. Stakeholdersplease refer toourwebsite forregistrations.
9.4Stakeholders’Surveys
After theRound2 Consultation,weplan to conduct surveys of stakeholder groups inaccordance with EDB requirements. The consultation report of this round will besubmittedtotheJEBforitsfinaldecision.
Regardinghowthissurveyistobedone,JEB’sviewsareasfollows:
i)Rigoroussurveyofstakeholders’views
The Society of Jesus, being the School Sponsoring Body (SSB), is charged with thecontinuedlegalandmoralresponsibilityofsponsoringandguidingthedirectionoftheschoolandshouldtryasfaraspossibletounderstandthediverseconcernsandviewsofdifferentstakeholders.Takingintoconsiderationtheseinputs,theSSBwillconsiderthe
48
matter conscientiously and thoroughly to make decisions that will lead the schoolforward towards the vision and mission of the school and the SSB in the best waypossible. This calls for a rigorous survey and serious considerations of differentstakeholders’ views both during and towards the endof the consultation period. TheSSB is of the opinion that a rigorous survey of stakeholders’ views should not beconfusedwitha“vote”bystakeholdersasthe latter isneitherpartof thegovernancestructure of the school nor a requirement of the EDB. We should also be wary ofencouraging a dualistic mindset for a complex issue that would require qualitativeunderstanding.
ii)Surveyquestions
ThepurposeofthesurveyistohelptheSSBmakeinformeddecisionssoitsdesignmustbe fit-for-purpose and be acceptable to the SSB. The opinion of stakeholders onwhethertheysupporttheschooltoswitchtothespecificformofDSSasoutlinedintheproposalisanimportantquestionthattheSSBisinterestedin.AstheremaybevariousfactorsregardingthedesignofDSSthatwouldaffectstakeholders’viewsonthematter,thesurveycouldconsistofquestionsonsuchfactorstoo.Sincedifferentstakeholdersmaybeconcernedaboutdifferent issues, it ispossiblethatdifferentsurveyformswillbeusedfordifferentstakeholdergroups.Intermsoflength,anexcessivelylongsurveyisundesirable. Wellwordedandunbiasedquestions thatarenotambiguousarealsoimportant. In this regard, inputs and advice from academics with expertise andexperienceinsocialsurveyswillbesought.
iii)Surveyprocess
As the SSB is serious about hearing the genuine views of stakeholders, the surveyprocesswillberigorouslyadministered. Adesignateddayorperiodwillbepickedforthepurpose. Noticeoftwoweeksormorewillbegiventostakeholders,andrelevantbodiessuchasthePastStudentsAssociation(PSA)andtheOverseasChaptersmightbeinvitedtohelpalertalumniofthissurveyandmonitorthesurveyprocess.
iv)Surveyresultsummary
TheSSBwillappointanindependentparty,suchasanauditorwithnobusinessdealingswiththeschool,tosummarizetheresultsofthesurvey.
9.5ApplicationandApproval
49
IftheJEBdecidestosubmitanapplication,itshoulddosobythedeadlineofFebruaryofeachyear.TheEDBwillnormallymakeitsdecisionwithin6months.Iftheapplicationisapproved,thentheDSSmodewillbeimplementedintheSeptemberatleastoneyearlater. Forexample, ifanapplication is submitted inFebruary20X1, then theEDBwillprovideananswerbyendofAugust20X1. Ifapproved,DSSwillbe implementedfromSeptember20X2onwards.
50
Chapter10:Conclusion
10.1DSScannotbeevaluatedintheabstract
UnliketheAidedmode,aDSSschoolcantakeonverydifferentshapesbecauseoftheflexibilitythatthisSchemeprovides.Soarationalandwell-informedevaluationofthedesirabilityandfeasibilityofWYHKadoptingtheDSSmodeisonlypossibleifwehaveanappropriatelevelofdetailaboutwhataDSS-WYHKwilllooklike.Thisdocumentaimstospelloutsomeoftheproposeddetailswhileinvitingstakeholderstocommentonthem,andtosuggestotherssothatwecanjointlyshapethefutureWYHKasweendeavortogofurtherandwidertoconsiderDSS.
10.2Howweconductourselvesisasimportantaswhattheendresultis
Howweconductourselves in thisdebateandexploration isas importantaswhat theend result is. Openness andunity in diversity are key featuresof Jesuit education atWah Yan. Such values, if held firmly, should help us go through the sometimesemotionally charged controversies surrounding the current exercise with clear-headednessandgoodwill,ultimatelyleadingtomutualunderstanding,compromiseandabetterWYHKforgenerationsofWahyanitestocome.
Admittedly, we may not always act in ways that meet such high standards. We areimperfecthumanbeingsafterall.ButtheliberaleducationatWahYandoesnotassumethatweareperfect.Whatitdoesassumeisourabilitytolearnthroughourexperiences,painfulorotherwise.Sothisisalsoajourneyoflearningandgrowth.
By bearing inmind these values and this openness to learn, it is hoped that we canemerge feelingproud thatwe can indeedhandle controversies, and feeling confidentthatwecanmoveonmoreunitedthanbeforewhenthisexplorationisconcluded.
51
Appendices
52
Appendix1:SchoolfeesofDSSSchoolswithsimilarbackgroundstoWYHKin2017/18
ThefollowingtableshowsschoolfeesperyearofschoolswithcomparablebackgroundstoWYHK,includingall7GrantSchoolswhichhaveturnedDSS:
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6
DiocesanBoys'School 48650 48650 48650 48650 48650+ 48650+
DiocesanGirls'School 38000 38000 38000 38000 38000 38000
GoodHopeSchool* 35000 35000 35000 45000 45000 45000
HeepYunnSchool 33920 32000 32000 33000 33000 33000
St.Paul'sCo-educationalCollege 58000 58000 58000 58000 58000 58000
St.Paul'sCollege 40400 40400 40400 40400 40400 40400
St.Paul'sConventSchool 25000 25000 25000 27500 27500 27500
St.Stephen'sCollege* 68000 68000 68000 68000 68000 68000
YingWaCollege 19900 19900 19900 19900 19900 19900
Maximum 68000 68000 68000 68000 68000/99320
68000/99320
Minimum 19900 19900 19900 19900 19900 19900
Average 40763.3 40550 40550 42050 41225 41225
Note: *Non-GrantSchoolwithbackgroundssimilartoGrantSchools. +$99,320forIBDPinbothF.5andF.6.
53
Appendix2:StudentEnrolmentinPrimary6,2015
District 2015
CentralandWestern 1376WanChai 1775Eastern 2651Southern 1242YauTsimMong 2219ShamShuiPo 3110KowloonCity 4083WongTaiSin 2739KwunTong 3970SaiKung 2287ShaTin 4082TaiPo 1668North 2779YuenLong 4285TuenMun 2915TsuenWan 2034KwaiTsing 2976Islands 925
Total 47116
Gender 2015
Male 24267Female 22849
Total 47116
Note:Figuresrefertothepositionasat15September2015.
Source:EducationBureau(2016)StudentEnrolmentStatistics2015/16
54
Appendix3:SecondarySchoolPlacesAllocationSysteminHongKong
55
56
57
58
59
Appendix4:MedianMonthlyDomesticHouseholdIncomeofAllDomesticHouseholdsbyDistrictCouncilDistrict,2016
1. DistrictCouncil
District MedianMonthlyDomesticHouseholdIncome(HK$)
HongKongIsland 31,250
CentralandWestern 36,000
WanChai 37,750
Eastern 29,830
Southern 30,000
Kowloon 21,790
YauTsimMong 23,500
ShamShuiPo 20,000
KowloonCity 25,550
WongTaiSin 22,000
KwunTong 20,160
NewTerritories 25,000
KwaiTsing 21,600
TsuenWan 28,800
TuenMun 22,000
YuenLong 23,000
North 21,500
TaiPo 27,000
ShaTin 27,180
SaiKung 32,470
Islands 27,700
Alldistricts 25,000
Notethatthefiguresexcludedomestichouseholdslivingonboardvessels.Source:CensusandStatisticsDepartmentoftheHongKongSAR(2017)PopulationBy-censusSummaryResult
60
Appendix5:ProfessorChengKaiMing’sviewonHRneedsofschoolsinHongKong
61
Appendix6:ComparisonamongDSSSchoolswithsimilarbackgrounds32
School SSB/Religion B/G/Co-ed
History Annualfee33($)for2017/18
Curriculumchoices
Linkedprimaryschool?
Campus(sq.m.)
Remarks
DiocesanBoys'School
Protestant(SKH)
B 1869 48,650 DSE,IB Yes 50,000 Boardingoption
DiocesanGirl'sSchool
Protestant(SKH)
G 1860 38,000 DSE,GCE Yes 13,088
GoodHopeSchool
Catholic(MSIC)
G 1954 35,000-45,000
DSE Yes 13,676 MSIC:MissionarySistersoftheImmaculateConception
HeepYunnSchool
Protestant(SKH)
G 1936 32,000-33,920
DSE Yes 11,000
StPaul'sCo-edCollege
Protestant(SKH)
Co-Ed 1915 58,000 DSE,IB Yes 6,250
StPaul'sCollege Protestant(SKH)
B 1851 40,400 DSE Yes 6,000 French/Spanish(iGCSE)
StPaul'sConventSchool
Catholic(SSPC)
G 1854 25,000-27,500
DSE,GCE Yes 7,000 SSPC:SistersofSt.PauldeChartres
StStephen'sCollege
Protestant(SKH)
Co-Ed 1903 68,000 DSE,IB Yes 150,000 Boardingoption
TakSunSecondarySch
Catholic B 2000 22,000 DSE Yes 12,000
YingWaCollege Protestant(HKCCCC)
B 1818 19,900 DSE Yes 13,000
WahYanCollege,HK
Catholic(SJ) B 1919 20,000orless
DSE Yes 22,000
32BasedonschoolfeecertificatefromEducationBureau(http://applications.edb.gov.hk/schoolsearch/schoolsearch.aspx?langno=1)�33Someschoolschargehigherfeesforseniorforms.ExtrafeesforIBprogrammesnotincluded(e.g.FeeforIBprogrammeatDBSin2017/18is:F.5&6-$99,320)
62
Appendix7:Financialsimulationbasedon2016/17
Underaidedsystem:Totalgovernmentgrant(excludingSchool-basedSupportSchemeGrantandCapacityEnhancementGrantpayableseparately)=$50,801,313(assumeaverageof12%ofsalaryasProvidentFundcontributedbythegovernment)DSSSubsidy34(basedoncurrentenrolment)SeniorForm:123perFormX3FormsX$67,80135=$25,018,569JuniorForm:144perFormX3FormsX$55,07436=$23,791,968Total=$48,810,537Subsidyshortfall=$48,810,537-$50,801,313=($1,990,776)DSSSubsidy(basedonprojectedenrolment37)SeniorForm:125perFormX3FormsX$67,801=$25,425,375JuniorForm:16038perFormX3FormsX$55,074=$26,435,520Total=$51,860,895Subsidysurplus=$51,860,895-$50,843,880=$1,059,582
34"ThegovernmentsubsidypayabletoDSSsecondaryschoolsiscalculatedintermsoftheaverageunitcostofanaidedsecondaryplace.SubsidieseligibletoaidedschoolswillalsobeeligibletoDSSschools.Someofthegrants(suchasSalaryGrant,ProvidentFund,OperatingExpensesBlockGrant,OtherChargesandSubjectGrants,DepreciationofFurniture&EquipmentandAmortisationofMajorRepairs,etc.)aresubsumedtotheDSSsubsidy.Others,suchastheSchool-basedSupportSchemeGrantandCapacityEnhancementGrantarepayabletoeligibleDSSschoolsseparately.(GovernmentSubsidyforDirectSubsidyScheme(DSS)SecondarySchools,p.2)
35Perstudentsubsidyforseniorformsofschoolswith16years'historyorhigher.
36Perstudentsubsidyforjuniorformsofschoolswith16years'historyorhigher.
37Withsmallerclassesacrosstheboardbydividing4classes(EDBestablishment)into5classes(WYHKimplementation).Currentclasssize:36.DSSclasssize:32.
385classesof32each.