Everyone of the class of 1961 is aware that the La Salle College campus was requisitioned by the British Army to be used as a hospital. However, I am not sure how many of us know that the Primary School campus was once a Government Primary School. David Chan Chi So submitted the story and a picture to prove it. He claims that he is the only one (of the class of 1961) who had attended school in the La Salle Primary School building. See the picture below. The building does look like the original La Salle Primary School. However you can definitely see female students. So obviously it is not a La Salle class picture. This is what David wrote:
“I did not become a La Salle Boy until Form IV, and furthermore I had all 6 years of my elementary education at a Government School on the same site as La Salle Primary on La Salle Road.
You see, the HK Government borrowed both campuses that one (for our primary school) and the La Salle College campus (for Amy Hospital). Probably I am the only guy in our class of 61, who had spent actual class time in the now demolished building and played on the original school ground of La Salle Primary.
Attached please find my primary school graduation picture. I am sure you can recognize the iconic star of La Salle and the famous classic facade similar to our famous domed building across the street. I am the fat boy sitting third from the left.”
Anyone wants to confirm or dispute this?
To see the full size picture:
1. Click the picture below
2. Click the small picture on the “new” page
This is a very interesting discussion and a wonderful picture produced by Francis!
LSPS building was previously used as a Government Primary School is FACT.
It is correct that the LSPS building, formally called LSC Annex, was used by various external parties before LSPS was founded in 1957.
– 1947 to 1950, it was used as Kowloon Junior School(I know someone who studied there, and as a kid he did not realize that it was part of La Salle). There was a rental arrangement with the government or with the Kowloon Junior (not sure which).
– 1950 to 1957 – Government Primary School. There was a shortage of schools in HK after the war, and this was an arrangement for the Brothers and the Government. This was guarded by a formal rental agreement signed between the Brothers and the Education Dept. The Brothers did not have use of the building, since LSC was in Perth Street, and so the rental received brought some additional income to the Brothers. The Brothers were not involved in the operations of this Govt Primary School. This is recorded in the LS History Book (p.185).
Meanwhile, Principal Brother Felix had been planning on a LS Primary School since 1954, and Brother Henry was already earmarked to take care of this school since then. Note that LSC actually had Primary 5 and 6 boys (before 1952 they were known as Class 8 and 7 respectively) since 1932.
– Sept 1957 to Jan 1958:
Mornings were used by the same Government Primary School, as the completion of their own new campus was delayed, so the Brothers allowed them to use the mornings.
Afternoons were use by the new LSPS, consisting of 10 classes at first, and that grew to 12 in January 1958.
Primary 6, A-D
Primary 5, A-B
Primary 4, A-B (a C class was added in Jan 1958)
Primary 3, A-B (a C class was added in Jan 1958)
In Jan 1958, after Bro Henry got hold of the full use of the school, he immediately added one P3 and one P4 class in January to make up 12 classes, using all classrooms of the school
If you have a copy of the La Salle History book, please refer to Chapter 12, in particular pages 184 to 186. Also a table at the end of the book called Appendices, which clearly records the usage of the LSPS building over the years.
May I offer another comment on Francis’ comment on the LSC occupation. It was strictly a Military occupation, and the HK government was not willing to see this happen. In fact, the Govt had tried to negotiate with the military to help the Brothers recover it, but they were not willing to try too hard. See Chapter 7 of the history book for full details. The history book is still available from the OBA at a discounted price of $280 (formally $380) if anyone is interested.
The above information was obtained via research of the school’s records and other external sources of informatin. Please let me know if I have got any of the above information incorrect. Thanks.
Mark Huang (class of 85)
David Chan wrote:
One More Amazing Fact on the Elementary School Picture
I just recall something else amazing about that elementary school picture.
On the 3rd row from the back, 4th position from the right, the girl with two little pong tails is called “Lo Kim Fong”. She is the daughter of Francis X. Lo, the form-master of Form V-C. If you look closely you may recognize the facial resemblance between Kim Fong and Francis X. Lo. I never asked Mr. Lo personally while I was at La Salle. But once at that elementary school, Kim Fong had mentioned her father was a teacher at La Salle. She was a smart and nice girl. But unlike Mr. Lo, that little girl was kind of shy and introvert as I remember.
If someone else can substantiate this, it would be splendid.
Best regards,
Yours,
David
David Tang wrote:
I was aware of that. It was a government primary school before La Salle took it back in 1956, 4 years before we went back to the main building. Brother Henry was the Headmaster then.
David Tang
No one can dispute when there is a living, reputable witness and photographic evidence. Besides, I remember reading something similar on the web recently, probably a link from the LSC website. Even though the expropriation of private property without compensation and just cause during peace time by the Government is unheard of nowadays in modern democracies, I have no doubt that such a practice was not uncommon by Colonial governments of any stripe. Without a free press to bring such injustice out into the open, those in power got away with it and their victims endured in silence. Sadly, I suspect that similar practices are still going on in too many parts of the world.