Year: 1952
Donor: / 

DETAILS 

New Asia Night School was a voluntary primary school set up in 1952 by a group of New Asia College’s students, including Li Hong-fei (Economics/1953) and Tong Duen-ching (Philosophy and Education/1953). Many children in the Sham Shui Po neighborhoods at the time were out of school. Students at New Asia College’s Department of Philosophy and Education, meanwhile, lacked teaching experience.  New Asia Night School thus came into being, giving impoverished children an opportunity to receive education, and New Asia students to put their learning into practice. 

New Asia Night School opened its doors on February 1, 1952, with the Education Department granting exemption from business registration. New Asia students, as the Night School’s teachers, used New Asia College’s Kweilin Street premises and instructed classes from 7 pm to 9 pm, Pupils who attended New Asia Night School were all from poor families,with many being overaged. To cultivate moral characters and integrate them into pupils’ pursuit of knowledge, the Night School upheld four mottos, namely “piety for parents”, “respect for teachers”, “love for schoolmates” and “diligence in study”.

Insufficiency of funds was a teething problem for New Asia Night School. The Night School’s operations relied mainly on tuition, which was waived for junior and excelling pupils, whilst middle and senior pupils should pay HK$2 to HK$3 per month. However, there were only a few middle and senior pupils, many of whom could not afford the monthly tuition fee. The Night School continued to function, thanks to New Asia College’s monthly subsidy of HK$15 and rent waiver (which means the Night School only needed to pay for electricity), as well as contributions from fellow New Asia students. 

Despite its meagre material circumstances, New Asia Night School was a warm, big family to its teachers and pupils, who developed a strong bond with one another through the travels and parties organized by the school. 

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