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Margaret Chan

Chinese YMCA College Area 86, Heng On Estate Ma On Shan, Sha Tin New Territories  CHINESE YMCA College not only emphasises discipline, but also academic performance.

 ''We want our students to behave well and become responsible and successful citizens,'' said Principal Dr Ho Kwok-keung.

 Founded in 1952 in Yau Ma Tei, the school moved to Heng On Estate, Ma On Shan, in 1990.

  Dr Ho said the relocation brought along changes in administration and teachers were unfamiliar with the new environment.

  ''For instance, the students here are totally different; we have to adjust to the standards of our new students,'' Dr Ho said.

  To establish a good image in the district and to make sure its students behave properly, the school emphasises discipline.

  Its Discipline Committee, led by five teachers, selects good students to train as school prefects who work with the teachers to maintain discipline among students.

  During recess and lunch time, prefects patrol the school to check the behaviour of fellow students. They also help maintain order at the bus stop after school.

  Although English is the chief medium of instruction, the mother tongue is still used in the lower forms.

  ''It's hard to teach first-formers in English because 90 per cent of them are from Chinese primary schools,'' Dr Ho said.

  ''Besides, the first-formers already have a lot of problems adjusting to their new school life.''   The school invites a lecturer from the Psychology Department of the University of Hong Kong to teach a group of students once a week for one to two hours.

  The lecturer has been with the school for three years.

  Although most students in this special class are third-and fourth-formers, there are some first-and second-formers who have shown a keen interest. The students are selected on the basis of interest, not academic level.

  ''To have our students do well, we encourage them to join various extracurricular activities in the academic arena, such as the English Society and Mathematics Club,'' Dr Ho said.

  ''Moreover, the library conducts the morning assembly once a week during which a teacher or student introduces good books.

  ''We hope what we are doing will help students to be more academic-oriented and develop an interest in studying.'' BACKGROUND The school, founded in 1952 by the Chinese Young Men's Christian Association of Hong Kong, is a co-educational secondary school with 1,204 students, 55 full-time teachers, two part-time teachers and five auxiliary staff.

HEADMASTER The principal is Dr Ho Kwok-keung who holds a B. Sc, Dip. Ed. (CUHK), M. Sc. (Ohio), Ed. D. (UBC), Charter of Physicists and a member of Institute of Physicists. Dr Ho has 24 years of teaching and administration experience.

TEACHING LANGUAGE Students are taught in Chinese and English.

ACTIVITIES The school offers 30 societies and clubs.

SPORTS Students are encouraged to take part in volleyball and basketball.

FACILITIES There are 24 classrooms, three laboratories, a playing field and an all-purpose rooftop. Field trips are organised for Geography and Biology.

SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarships are donated by the Parents' Association and the Old Students' Association.

PREFECTS Fifty prefects are headed by Wong Wing-kee, Cheng Ki-ki, Kwok Wai-yan and Leung Kai-bong.



Discipline tops development list