After year of debate, top Hong Kong school to make self-funding switch despite concerns over excluding poorer students
Wah Yan College to apply to adopt direct subsidy scheme (DSS) model, which will allow it to charge fees and have more autonomy
The sponsoring body of the prestigious Wah Yan College on Hong Kong Island has finally decided the institution will make the switch from a fully aided school to a direct subsidy scheme (DSS) school after a year of debate.
The Jesuit Education Board had reached a unanimous decision to submit an application to the Education Bureau to adopt the DSS funding mode in due course, board chairman Father Stephen Chow Sau-yan announced on Wednesday.
The board said in March that times had changed, the school was facing some unique challenges and it was time to look into such a move. A nine-month consultation was conducted from April last year.
The announcement was met with conflicting opinions both within and outside the school and alumni community, with critics saying the change would go against the school’s vision of catering to both rich and poor.
Chow said the decision was made “after studying the different proposals throughout the entire duration and discerning the feedback received during the process and the results of a well-prepared survey conducted by the school”.