Woman, pets remain as scandal-hit Hong Kong boarding school for drug offenders suspends operations
- Christian Zheng Sheng College appeared deserted on Sunday aside from one middle-aged woman in a dorm, dogs and tortoises
A lone middle-aged woman, two alumni and some pets were the only signs of life on Sunday at a scandal-hit boarding school run by a Christian charity on an outlying Hong Kong island, after its decades-long operation to rehabilitate young drug offenders was suspended.
The Christian Zheng Sheng College, set up in 1998 at Ha Keng on Lantau Island, was deserted aside from two leashed dogs and several tortoises, while books, furniture and kitchenware remained, a Post check on the campus found.
College supervisor Chui Hong-sheung told the Post on Saturday evening that an 18-year-old female student remained on the campus, adding that she had no family members in Hong Kong, while her guardian lived in mainland China.
He urged the school and welfare authorities to make arrangements for the student. Chui also called on the institution to settle unpaid wages it owed to some employees as soon as possible.
The whereabouts of the student could not be confirmed despite a Post reporter being at the campus on Sunday for about three hours. A middle-aged woman was spotted in the girls’ dormitory around midday.
A government spokesman on Saturday evening said the well-being of students was a top priority. He added authorities had made alternative arrangements for 11 of the 12 students to continue their studies or rehabilitation.