Methodist College (Kowloon)
Methodist College | |
---|---|
Crede ut Intellegas | |
Location | |
50 Gascoigne Road, King's Park, Kowloon, Hong Kong | |
Coordinates | 22°18′32″N 114°10′19″E / 22.3090°N 114.1719°ECoordinates: 22°18′32″N 114°10′19″E / 22.3090°N 114.1719°E |
Information | |
School type | Grant School |
Motto |
Crede ut Intellegas "Believe in order to know" |
Religious affiliation(s) | Methodist |
Established | 1958 |
School district | Yau Tsim Mong District |
President |
Rev. Tin-Yau Yuen (Supervisor) |
Principal | Ms. Emily Wong |
Staff | 54 |
Grades | Form 1 - Form 6 |
Gender | Co.ed |
Number of students | 812 |
Classes offered | 24 |
Colour(s) |
red, blue and white |
Yearbook | Wesley |
Affiliation | The Methodist Church, Hong Kong |
Medium of Instruction | English |
Website | http://www.mckln.edu.hk |
Methodist College (Chinese: 循道中學), commonly referred to as MCKLN or MC, is a co-educational grant school located at 50 Gascoigne Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The college admits students aged between 12 and 19. The College was officially opened on 1 November 1958 by the then Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Robert Black, K.C.M.G. It is the city's oldest Methodist Secondary School. The school curriculum uses English as the medium of instruction in all subjects, with the exception of Chinese-related subjects.
School mission
Develop whole-person education based on Christian principles,
Nurture wholesome life through preaching of the gospel.
School history
Methodist College was the first established of eight secondary schools of the Chinese Methodist Church. A group of church leaders conceived the idea of building a secondary school way back in the early 1950s to provide continued education for the graduates of Methodist School. After putting a great deal of effort into the planning and fund-raising, a school building with only 12 classrooms was completed in 1958. The first school year commenced in September 1958 with an enrollment of 312 students in 8 classes ranging from Form 1 to Form 4. There were 12 members on the teaching staff under the leadership of the first principal, Mr. Lee Lin Chi. The original planners envisaged a small, well-equipped and cosy school that would form a close-knit community in which both teachers and students knew each other well.
The College was accorded status as a grant school from the very beginning. This placed the College on equal footing with some of the most established schools in Hong Kong. The College was officially opened on 1 November 1958 by the then Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Robert Black, K.C.M.G. Since 1959, 1 of November has been observed as Founders' Day. The annual Speech Day has been traditionally held on the same day until recent years. The event is now held on the first Saturday of November.
The school's first class of Form 5 students took the Hong Kong School Leaving Certificate Examination (now known as the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination) in May, 1960 and the first Lower Form 6 began in September of the same year.
As enrollment increased over the years, the range of extra-curricular activities widened. Many clubs and societies were formed. The Student Union came into being and was inaugurated on April 4, 1960, with Lam Kiu Sum, a Form 5 student, as the first president. The Student Christian Fellowship also gradually assumed its present structure. The first school magazine of the College was published in 1961. On the is cover the familiar picture of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, on horseback. The magazine was also given the name "Wesley" which sums up the spirit of the school. As the school expanded over the years, there was the need for additional classrooms. An annex, which is now the North Wing, was subsequently built adjacent to the basketball court. This became ready for occupation in September, 1963. The annex provided the College with 5 additional standard-sized classrooms which were bright and airy. A new standard-sized classroom was added on the second floor of the wing in September, 1994.
The College operated 19 classes with 3 streams in each form from Form 1 to Form 5 and 2 each in Lower and Upper Form 6 until September, 1976. As a result of the government's expansion policy of secondary education, the College began to take in an additional stream in Form 1. Over the next 5 years, the College gradually expanded to its maximum enrollment of over 900 students in 26 classes with 4 streams from Form 1 to Form 5 and 3 streams in Form 6 and Form 7. With the onset of the 3-3-4 New Academic Structure, the College now runs on 4 streams from Form 1 up to Form 6.
To alleviate the effects of traffic noise, the College installed air-conditioners in some classrooms and special rooms with funds raised by the Silver Jubilee Fund-Raising Campaign in 1983. The number of air-conditioned rooms increased gradually as more funds became available. Now all classrooms and special rooms are air-conditioned. The Lower Hall is also air-conditioned thanks to funds donated by students, parents and alumni in 1996.
To accommodate the additional classes, the library and the geography room were relocated while some rooms were re-constructed in 1987 and 1994. To meet the new demands of the education reforms, the facilities and technology of the school are improved continuously.
Into the new millennium, the College experienced rapid expansion in space. With the School Improvement Project (SIP) of the government, a new extension, now the South Wing, was built on top of the previous football field. Though much delayed, the project was completed in October, 2005, providing three classrooms and special rooms, as well as a spacious Student Activity Centre. Starting from 2002, the vacated campus of the previous Grantham College of Education at 42 Gascoigne Road was handed over to Methodist College and Methodist School for temporary joint tenancy. Renovation was carried out with the college's own funds to turn parts of the otherwise dilapidated premises into active use. The extended campus benefits the College greatly in terms of sports facilities, including a basketball court, an indoor stadium and a fitness gym. The lecture theatre and the Student Activity Room provide good venues for interclass activities, while curriculum diversity is achieved through the English Fun Room and the Pottery Workshop. In 2011, with the relocation of Methodist School to its brand new campus on Wylie Road, the College gained occupancy of its SIP Block, which became the East Wing with 6 classrooms, one brand new Computer Room, 3 split-class teaching rooms and one Student Learning Commons. Senior classes were moved to the East Wing, which released space on the second floor of the Main Building to house a brand new multi-purpose area, where students enjoy meals and share the fun of school life together as when the school was first built in 1958.
School Principals
- Mr. Lee Lin Chi(1958–1965)
- Mr. Watt Hoi Kee(1965–1973)
- Rev. Man Kwok Wai(1973–1980)
- Miss Sito Suk Han Helena(1980–1994)
- Mr. Kan Ki Leung(1994–2005)
- Miss Pang Shuk Mei(2005–2008)
- Miss Wong Pui Yi Emily(2008–present)
House system
There are five Houses, named by the five elements in ancient Chinese philosophy and fortune-telling.
Orange (Venus)
Green (Jupiter)
Blue (Mercury)
Red (Mars)
Yellow (Saturn)
School Song
1. In old Kowloon there stands Ts'un To, a School beloved by all Her name and fame we loved to sing, her praises to recall.
2. With work and play and worship here, we fill each useful day and seek to follow Him who is the Life, the Truth, the Way.
3. With Christian training forth we go, but memory's golden chain shall bind us still with links of love, and prompt the old refrain.
Refrain
Ts'un To, Ts'un To, to her we bring, with hearts and voices blending the love and praise of youthful days, a song that knows no ending.
School Badge
The Colors Red stands for enthusiasm; blue for trustworthiness
"Tsun To" Means following the way of our Lord, Jesus Christ
The Cross In white, placed in the centre, means that the Cross directs our lives
The Four Quadrangles Mean the well-balanced development in four areas - moral, intellectual, physical and social
The Two Books The book undemeath is the Bible and the other is the book of learning
The Lamp Jesus says, "I am the light of the world", This lamp, constantly burning, always reminds us that we should lighten up our surroundings in active service
The Motto "CREDE UT INTELLEGAS" This Latin sentence "Believe in order to know" is the fundamental philosophy of St.Agustine.
Campus
The school comprises a Main Building, a North Wing, a South Wing and an East Wing with 24 classrooms, 5 small group teaching rooms, 3 Science Laboratories, a Computer Room, a Multi-media Learning Centre, a Lecture Room, a Library, a Senior Learning Commons, a Visual Arts Room, a Music Room, a Home Economics Room, a Design and Technology Room, an English Fun Room, a Campus TV Studio, a Campus TV Editing Room, a Student Activity Centre, a Student Union Room, a gym, an Open Playground, a Covered Playground, a Canteen and a Hall.
Curriculum
In all classes, English is the medium of instruction for most of the subjects. The school has a strong tradition of using English in most school functions. To enhance students' English, a wide range of activities, like English Activity Day, English Time, Debating Competition etc., are held throughout the year.
Subject offered
Foundation years (S1–S3)
To lay a strong foundation for senior secondary studies and get well trained for the core subjects.
English Language, Chinese Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Economics, Business, Accounting and Financial Studies, Computer Literacy, Chinese History, Liberal Studies, Putonghua, Religious Education, Visual Arts, Home Economics, Design and Technology, Music, Physical Education
New Senior Secondary (S4-S6)
Each student has to study four core subjects and two/ three elective subjects. Students have to take part in different Other Learning Experiences (OLE) as well.
- Core Subjects (4C):
English Language, Chinese Language, Mathematics, Liberal Studies
- Elective Subjects:
Physics,Chemistry, Biology, Combined Science, Economics, Mathematics Module 1, Mathematics Module 2, Business, Accounting and Financial Studies (A), Business, Accounting and Financial Studies (B), Geography, History, Chinese History, Visual Arts, Information and Communication Technology, Chinese Literature, Ethics and Religious Studies.
- Other subjects:
Religious Education, Physical Education, Aesthetic Education
Academic
The college has a good academic status and students consistently achieve much higher than the territory average in public examinations. Most of the graduates go into tertiary education, including universities in Hong Kong and overseas.
Extra-curricular
The school strongly encourage students to participate in activities both within and outside the school. The College boasts a democratic tradition as the Methodist College Student Union was the first elected student cabinet by one man one vote. Form associations, which are also elected by students and rotates around five colours: red, yellow, orange, green and blue, demonstrate how the torch is passed onto the juniors by their seniors from generation to generation. Besides, the school offer more than 50 different student bodies in the form of clubs, societies, organizations and school teams such as choir, orchestra, musical team, debating teams and sports teams for students to take part. There is also a wide range of training courses including musical instruments, foreign languages, art and design, archery etc. held over the weekend. Music and leadership training activities are the focus of development in recent years to give students a rich & vibrant school life. Students perform well in inter-school competitions and win numerous prizes in debating, speech, music, sports, art, etc.
Notable alumni
Politics and civil service
- Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, JP - Director of Leisure and Cultural Services
- Bobby Cheng - Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services
- Chung Ling-hoi, JP - Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services
- Fung Pak-yan - Deputy Director of Social Welfare (Services)
- Aron Laura Liang, JP - District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong)
- Chow Kwok-chuen - Deputy Director of Immigration
- Wong Bay, Peter - Surveyor
- Leung Sze Lee, Shirley - Former Assistant Director of Department of Health
- V Chan - Assistant Director of Community Relations Department of ICAC
- Chan Kwok Wing Kelvin - Registered Professional Planner
- Tam Tai Keung - Senior Divisional Officer of The Fire Services Department
- Chen Seng-tek, Stuart - Outgoing Vice-President of the Methodist Church, HK; Chief Manager of Property Management, Hong Kong Housing Authority
- * William Shum Chi Tai - Hong Kong Observatory-Official Authority For Hong Kong Weather
- Yam Wai Kwok - Commanding officer
- Tsang Shuk Man - Psychologist
Law
- The Hon Mr Justice Wally Yeung, V-P - Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court
- Ng Kin Yuen - Chairman of Appeal Tribunal Panel (Buildings) of Development Bureau; Lawyer
Commerce
- Dennis Chan - Founder of Qeelin
- Lok Kam Chong, John - Audit Principal of Oriental Link CPA Limited
- Chiu, Wing Fai - Managing Director of Samsung Securities (Asia) Limited
- Michael Szeto - Head of Corporate Administration, The Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd
Education and academia
- Wong Siu Ling Alice - Associate Professor of Faculty of Education, HKU
- Victor Sit - Chair Professor of The Department of Geography, HKU
- Chetwyn Chan - Associate Vice-President and Chair Professor of rehabilitation science, PolyU
- Chan Tak-hung, Leo - Professor of Translation and Head of the Department of Translation, Lingnan University
- Shuk-Mei Ho - Jacob G. Schmidlapp Professor and Chair Department of Environmental Health Hayden Family Endowed Chair Director, Cincinnati Cancer Center, University of Cincinnati
- Ma Shu Yun - Professor of The Department of Government and Public Administration, CUHK
- Chan Kwan Chee - Professor of The Department of Chemical Pathology, CUHK
- Yeung Sum, SBS, JP - Assistant Professor of The Department of Social Work, HKU; politician
- So Hayden Kwok Hay - Assistant Professor of The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, HKU
- Leung Yan Wing - Associate professor of The Department of Education Policy and Leadership; the co-director of the Centre for Governance and Citizenship, HKIed
- Louisa Lo - Headmaster of Raimondi College
- Peter Yuen - Headmaster of Stewards Pooi Kei College
- Au-Yeung Wai Yin - Headmaster of Cognitio College (Kowloon)
- Wong Kin-chung - Former Headmaster of Hoi Ping Chamber of Commerce Secondary School
Construction
- Samson Wong - SAMSON WONG & ASSOCIATES PROPERTY CONSULTANCY LIMITED
- Alfred Ching - ALFRED CHING AND ASSOCIATES LIMITED
- Chih Ming Yuen - Architect
Medical
- Leo Poon - Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship
- Pang Siu Wah, Alwin - Doctor
- Tam Wai Ling - Doctor
- Ip Kwok Tung - Doctor
- Chan Wai Chung, Vincent - Doctor
- Ho Yuk Hai - Doctor
- Woo Lap Wai Geoffrey - Doctor
- Wai Nai Pong - Doctor
- Ko Chun Yu - Doctor
Arts and entertainment
- Natalie Tong Sze Wing - Actress
References
External links
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