| Diocesan Boys' School Chinese: 拔萃男書院 |
|
|---|---|
| Main Building of Diocesan Boys' School | |
| Location | |
| 131 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon Hong Kong |
|
| Information | |
| School type | DSS,[1] Grant School, Secondary Primary |
| Denomination | Anglican Episcopal |
| Established | 1869 |
| School district | Kowloon City District[1] |
| Headmaster | Terence Chang |
| Grades | G1 (Primary 1) – G12 (Form 6) |
| Campus size | approximately 10,000 m2 |
| Colour(s) | Navy Blue, White and Red
|
| Newspaper | "Not Rigmarole" Chinese: 粹聞 |
| Yearbook | "Steps" Chinese: 集思 |
| Affiliation | Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui |
| Website | www.dbs.edu.hk |
Diocesan Boys' School is a boys' school located at 131 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1869, making it one of the oldest secondary schools in Hong Kong.
The school aims to provide a "liberal education based on Christian principles"; its students are encouraged to be well rounded. School teams participate in various inter-school sports and music competitions, and has of late won[2] Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation (HKSSF) and Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Association (HKSMSA) awards.
In 2004, a primary school division was opened on the school campus.
Contents |
In 1860, Lady L. Smith, the wife of the first Bishop of Victoria and the Society for the Promotion of Female Education in the Far East (FES) established a girls' school affiliated with the Diocese of the Anglican denomination in Hong Kong. It was given the name "Diocesan Native Female Training School" (DNFTS), and Lady Robinson, the wife of the Governor, became the patroness. According to the constitution, it aimed "to introduce among a somewhat superior class of native females the blessings of Christianity and of religious training".[3] The Committee started the school on Bonham Road, with a small concrete house on a paddy field. It accommodated teaching, boarding and all the activities.[4]
The school became mired in controversy and got into financial trouble. According to Dr. E. J. Eitel’s letter to the Colonial Secretary Frederick Stewart, it was forced to close temporarily in 1865 upon learning that almost every one of the girls learned English in that school, and became the kept mistress of foreigners on leaving school.[5]
The school was soon reopened and renamed "Diocesan Female School" (DFS), but its financial situation was by no means improved. In addition, most Chinese people did not wish their daughters to have a Western-style education at the time. In 1868, the second Bishop of Victoria, Bishop R. Alford, took the school under his immediate superintendence.[4] This marks the end of the First Foundation.
On 30 January 1869, Bishop Alford issued an Appeal to extend the benefits of education given in DFS to children of both sexes, which was soon met with a liberal response. Under a new constitution, the "Diocesan Home and Orphanage" (DHO), for English, Eurasian, Chinese and other pupils, was begun on the same site in September. The objects of the Institution were to receive Children of both sexes, sound both in body and mind and as may be deemed eligible by the Committee, as soon as they become capable of education; and to board, clothe and instruct them with a view to industrial life and the Christian Faith according to the teaching of the Church of England.[6]
In July 1870, William Arthur of the Garrison School was appointed as the Headmaster, and Mrs. Arthur as the Matron.[4] In 1878, the School was then placed in the Grant-in Aid Scheme by the Education Department.
In March 1878, the School Committee decided to receive no more boys, but those already admitted should remain; this decision was reversed in July, and no more girls were received as boarders, though they still remained as day-scholars. The School was to transform into a boys’ school.[7] On 1 November, George Piercy, the third master of the Government Central School, was appointed as the Headmaster.[8] Piercy focused on the academic education of the students, and the School gained satisfactory results in the Cambridge and Oxford Local Examination scholarships.[9]
In 1891, the School changed its name to "Diocesan School and Orphanage" (DSO), commemorating the erection of a new wing. All the girls left as Fairlea Girls’ School (later known as Heep Yunn College), under the superintendence of Miss Johnstone, was opened to them in 1892. For the first time DSO became a boys’ school.[7] In 1899, the Diocesan Girls’ School was founded in Rose Villas on Bonham Road, Ms. Hawker being the Head Teacher.[10]
In 1902, the School changed its name to "Diocesan Boys’ School and Orphanage" (DBSO).[11] It is unclear when the school changed its name from DBSO to DBS, the name DBS having been used as early as 1918.[12] Rev. William Featherstone, Headmaster from 1917 to 1930, introduced the prefects' system, a house system and Speech Day. He also proposed moving the School from Bonham Road to a green field site in Mong Kok. Construction of the school was completed in 1926. But soon in February 1927, the British military authorities took the School as a hospital for one year.[13]
War broke out in China following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, and at once, DBS showed its support towards the Chinese Nationalist Party. In January 1938, a Shoe-shining Club was organized under the permission of Rev. Christopher Sargent to raise funds for the Nationalist Government. Boys went to schools around Hong Kong, polishing shoes for both teachers and students.[14] In 1939, it even led to a School strike when a student of Japanese citizenship was appointed as Head Prefect.[15]
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong beginning in 1941, most of the personnel at the school, including then-Headmaster Gerald Goodban were imprisoned, and the school building itself transformed into a military hospital for soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Imperial Japan surrendered in August 1945, putting an end to World War II. The School was still under the control of Kempi Tai until November, when all the Japanese soldiers were captured. On 21 March 1946, J. L. Youngsaye, a senior teacher, took over the School which had been vacated, after it was inspected by the army commander. Oswald Cheung and Mr. B. J. Monks took up the post of acting Headmaster successively. Goodban arrived from England on 19 November 1947. Repairs started during the Christmas holidays. The new House system, named after the former Headmasters, was introduced in 1949 together with the Piercy Challenge Shield.[16] In the 1950s, great construction plans including a gymnasium, a Carnegie Hall (the old Art Room beside the demolished gymnasium) and a science wing were proposed.
In 1955, Goodban announced his resignation while Canon George Zimmern (aka George She) was appointed the next Headmaster, the first Hong Kong-born old boy to become so. As Headmaster, Canon She brought about many innovations: firstly, he opened the School gates wide to pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; secondly, he de-colonialised DBS by affirming Chinese in the School's culture.[17] Canon She also introduced the Garden Fête in 1955.
Academically, there was a proposal to drop the primary classes due to shortage of space. Although it was decided that a completely new Diocesan Preparatory School was to be built, it was not until 1969 that the resolution was affirmed.[18]
The School became a major force in athletics when James Lowcock was appointed Headmaster in 1961. With his previous experience in DBS, he structured the administration to improve efficiency and more teachers were appointed to posts with designated responsibilities.
In 1983, Lowcock resigned due to ill health, and was succeeded by Jacland Lai, a senior teacher at the School. Under the new Headmaster's efforts, the standard of non-academic endeavours of students were greatly improved, and a number of competition prizes were brought back to the school as a result. In addition, a language laboratory and a demonstration room were built. The electrics and alarm installations were renovated, the School walls repainted, and computerization was performed throughout the School.
In 1991, the Education and Manpower Bureau tabled an offer to DBS to join the Direct Subsidy Scheme. However, the offer was rejected in fear of budget deficit.
Lai retired in August 2000, and Terence Chang, an old boy and then-headmaster at the Jockey Club Ti-I College, took over the reins in September 2000.
On 4 October 2002, the School Committee decided to join the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) with effect from September 2003. The application was accepted by the then Education and Manpower Bureau in March 2003,[19] making it the third Anglican school to join the DSS.
Throughout 2002, the DSS was fiercely debated within the school. While Chang was highly in favour of joining the scheme,[20] some students and most teachers opposed the scheme fiercely, fearing it would deprive children from less well-off families of the opportunity to attend DBS and change its education for all tradition. Old boys were slightly inclined towards the DSS, while the school claimed that parents were in favour, though the school's findings have since been criticized as biased.[21]
After a 35 year hiatus, it was decided to found and built a primary school on the School campus. The project was wholly financed and undertaken by the government as part of the deal that saw DBS join the DSS.[22] The primary school, known as the Diocesan Boys' School Primary Division (DBSPD) had its first (partial) intake of students in 2004. It further expanded its intake with students aged between 6 and 12 in 2005.
| Name | Name in Chinese | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | William Monarch Burnside ARTHUR | 雅瑟 | (1870–1878) |
| 2. | George H. PIERCY | 俾士 | (1878–1917) |
| 3. | Rev. William T. FEATHERSTONE | 費瑟士東 | (1917–1931) |
| H. du T. PYNER | 派納 | (1931–1932, acting) | |
| 4. | Rev. Christopher Birdwood Roussel SARGENT[23] | 舒展 | (1932–1938) |
| 5. | Gerald Archer GOODBAN | 葛賓 | (1938–1941) |
| Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–1945) | |||
| Oswald Victor CHEUNG | 張奧偉 | (1946, acting) | |
| B. J. MONKS | 孟克士 | (1946, acting) | |
| 5. | Gerald Archer GOODBAN | 葛賓 | (1946–1955) |
| B. J. MONKS | 孟克士 | (1955, acting) | |
| 6. | Rev. George Samuel ZIMMERN (aka Canon George She)[24] | 施玉麒 | (1955–1961) |
| 7. | Sidney James LOWCOCK | 郭慎墀 | (1961–1983) |
| 8. | Jacland LAI | 黎澤倫 | (1983–2000) |
| 9. | Terence CHANG | 張灼祥 | (2000–present) |
| HOUSES |
|---|
| Arthur (A) |
| Piercy (P) |
| Sykes (Sy) |
| Featherstone (F) |
| Sargent (Sa) |
| Goodban (G) |
| George She (GS) |
| Lowcock (L) |
In 1922, Rev. Featherstone introduced the Club system to the School for sports and drama competitions. All the students were divided among four Clubs, i.e. the Green, the Blue, the Yellow and the Brown. As the number of students kept increasing, the Red Club was added in 1947. Three past Headmasters, Piercy, Sargent and Featherstone died successively during the years of the Pacific War. In order to commemorate them, Goodban decided to establish a new House system in 1949. The existing five Clubs were re-designated "Houses" and named after four past Headmasters and the Henry Sykes, who was the Second Master from 1898 to 1920.
In 1960, Canon She founded the new Goodban House to commemorate his predecessor. Lowcock House was added in 2002.[25]
In 2004, the alumni of class of '58 managed a fund-raising for the establishment of a new House and the Chapel renovation in memory of the late Canon George She.[26] However, the Zimmern House project remained under discussion for years. In November 2010, the headmaster Terence Chang announced in the 45th Anniversary Reunion of Class 1965 that there would be a Zimmern house for Canon She in September 2011. Its name is later altered to George She House in response to the petition of Class 1960, and orange is chosen as the house colour.
The Houses, abbreviations and representative colours are as per the inset.
The School badge are composed of seven elements: the Mitre, the Crown, the Crozier, the Key, the Bible, the Shell and the Shield, all of which have deep meaning in the Christian faith.
The mitre is the traditional headgear worn by bishops. As a symbol, its meaning is twofold. It shows that the Anglican Church is an episcopal church, a church guided by bishops. It also underlines the fact that the Anglican Church has inherited the faith of the Apostles.
Placed above the Bible, the crown is the symbol of the kingship of Christ. It indicates that the Church works in the world in obedience to Christ and to the glory of God.
The crozier is a symbol of the pastoral responsibility which the Church bears for the world. It is also known as the pastoral staff. It reminds the Church of its humble identity as servant.
The key is the symbol of authority which the Church receives from Christ.
The book placed in the middle of the shield is the Bible, which is a record of the self-disclosure of God in history – the history of the people of Israel in the Old Testament period and the life of Jesus Christ. The doctrine, discipline and worship of the Anglican Church is based on the Bible and must be in accordance with its teaching.
Placed beneath the Bible, the shell is used to symbolise Baptism. It underlines the evangelistic mission of the Church which is to preach the Gospel, to draw people to Christ and to baptise them.
The shape of a shield signifies the defending of Christian faith in the temporal world.
Buildings:
The school uses English as the medium of instruction.
Currently, both the Primary and Secondary Division follow the Hong Kong Examination Authority's curriculum. Students in Form 4 (2008–09) or above take both the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE). Students in Grade 9 (Form 3; 2008–09) or below will fall into the New Secondary System (NSS) which is also known as "3-3-4" and will take the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations.
In March 2009, the school received media attention when a Form 4 student complained that he had had a nude female model as a subject in his art class, and alleged embarrassment. The visual arts teacher, employed for 27 years, told reporters that he had been inviting nude models without any complaint for nearly ten years. Headmaster Terence Chang said it was a big fuss about nothing ("大驚小怪").[28]
The school launched the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in the school year 2009–10, having roughly 50 IB students.[29] A new building is being built for the IB programme, while the school's intention to admit girls to the IB program has been cancelled.
Various sports are played within school, and school teams of DBS are strong competitors among Hong Kong schools. They have been crowned Overall Champions in Athletics, Badminton (Grand Slam in 09/10 & 10/11 in the Kowloon area), Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Hockey, Life Saving, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis and Volleyball (Grand Slam in 77/78 in the Kowloon area).[30]
The School's Athletics, Swimming, Tennis and Life Saving Teams are the most distinguished among all. They have each won more than half of the available Overall Championships in the history of their disciplines:
Recently, the School has won the Inter-School Swimming Championships for a record 19 consecutive years, the All Hong Kong Secondary School Life Saving Championships for a record 20 consecutive years, and the Inter-School Tennis Competition for a record 12 consecutive years (straight wins every year). Athletics Team was crowned the Overall champion for a record 7 consecutive years between 03/04 and 09/10.
In December 2010, the school swimming team successfully defended Grand Slam at the Inter-School Swimming Championships in the boys' section, unprecedented in history.
In March 2003, the school football team captured the Jing Ying Football Championship as a Division Three team, also unprecedented in history.
The School is currently second in terms of the number of Omega Rose Bowl/BOCHK Bauhinia Bowl won in the Boys Schools Section. The BOCHK Bauhinia Bowl, previously known as Omega Rose Bowl, is an annual award to the best performing school in Inter-school sports competitions.
Notable Prizes:
Instrumental
Choral
The Diocesan Boys' School Senior Choir is one of Hong Kong's leading youth male choirs. Its conductor is Mr. Ronnie Cheng. It is a regular participant at the annual Hong Kong Schools Music Festival in categories "Secondary School Choir – Foreign Language – Boys Senior" and "中學合唱隊 – 中文 – 男子 – 高級組". Since the turn of the century, the choir also took part in a number of international choral competitions on a regular basis.
The Diocesan Boys' School Hymn by Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) Verse 1:
Verse 2:
Verse 3:
Verse 4:
Verse 5:
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The Diocesan Boys' School Hymn was composed by Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936).
Later in June 2010, the DBS School Hymn was arranged by a residing Hong Kong musician Mr.T.Lo.
Named as DBS School Hymn 2010, it was premiered by the DBS School Orchestra 2009-10 as one of the two background music[32] of the DBS Year in Pictures 2009-2010 during the programme rundown of the DBS Homecoming Concerts 2010 .[33]
On 24 May 2010, as part of a series of school visits in government's 'Act Now' campaign, the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Adeline Wong Ching-Man JP, visited the school to talk about the government constitutional development efforts. She briefed students on the details of the Package of Proposals for the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive and for Forming the Legislative Council in 2012, and answered questions both from students and teaching staff.[34]
DBS also participates in other competitions, such as art, drama, business, mathematics, computer programming and the Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival.
DBS counts a total of 7 winners of the Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards,[35] ranking 10th (tied with St. Paul's Co-educational College, Sacred Heart Canossian College and NTHYK Yuen Long District Secondary School) among all secondary schools in Hong Kong.