More than 1500 Join Petition to Demand Clarity on Rosaryhill School

The number of parents, teachers, students and alumni who signed a petition to demand an explanation on the expected closure of Rosaryhill School on Stubbs Road reached 1525.

They accused the school’s sponsoring body, Dominican Missions of failing to consult and respect them before an announcement on Sep. 19 to merge the kindergarten and primary school of Rosaryhill School with Dalton School Hong Kong and abolish the secondary department after two years.

An internal notice of the Merger and Abolishment Plan was reportedly released to students and teachers without prior consultation. The principal was informed on Sep. 14, and parents and students were informed on Sep. 15. A parent meeting was then held less than 24 hours after the release of the notice.

“It was released so late that many parents and students didn't see,’’ said Param Verma, 15, a secondary student from the school. Parents had insufficient time to attend and discuss the possibilities of better student arrangements”.

Aaren Sapra, 15, a year three secondary student, said that parents were forced to look for other schools and were concerned that the government secondary school Central Allocation system may not be the best option for their kids, and they were worried that their children could not adapt to a new school and may lose their friends.

“I will consider transferring our child to another school. We hope to give our child a fresh start sooner rather than waiting here for an uncertain future,” said Tracy Lo, 32, a secondary student’s mother.

“Switching to another school means sacrificing the elective courses crucial for my future career aspirations,” said Param.

With the school facing an uncertain future, alumni expressed profound disappointment and heartbreaks.

"I have spent one-third of my life at Rosaryhill, forging valuable relationships with educators and peers and igniting my passion for acting," said Howard Chan, 38, a performing arts graduate.

In the petition letter, parents, students and teachers demand an explanation of the merger and abolishment. They also want transparent communication with the sponsoring body to restore the stability of the school's education team.

“Immediate action with all stakeholders to explore the best alternatives instead of an abolishment is also requested,” the petitioners said.

Dominican Missions explained in their announcement that the Merger and Abolishment decision is solely made on the consideration of financial distress due to the declining enrolment rate at the school.

But So Pui-Ting, the principal of the Rosaryhill School, released a statement on Sep. 17, to deny the reasons the Dominican Missions claimed. She said that the enrolment rate had actually been increasing steadily, with 4 classes of secondary school and 3 classes of secondary admission, and the school still had sizeable classes to support its operations.

Dominican Missions has yet to issue an official response. However, a school superintendent from the admission department confirmed that enrollment and courses will continue and that the school is committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of students.