Troubled Hong Kong primary school appoints acting principal and is ready for new academic year, parents told

After scandal over ‘shadow’ pupils, Hing Tak School has hired sufficient teachers and is recruiting a new principal

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Teachers earlier complained that the school had inflated pupil enrolment numbers to avoid funding cuts, Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 3:15pm, 21 Aug 2017Updated: 8:07pm, 21 Aug 2017

A troubled primary school in Tuen Mun has appointed an acting principal and will open its doors for the new academic year despite being embroiled in a series of controversies, parents have been reassured.

Sung Cheuk-fan, who has taught at the school for the past 12 years, was appointed acting principal on Monday afternoon with recruitment for a replacement for the ousted Chan Cheung-ming also under way.

“As the school’s head of discipline, I believe I am familiar with how the school is run and can handle things on an administrative level,” Sung told reporters outside the school.

“I had hesitated for a while, but as a member of management staff I felt it was only responsible that I help,” he said.

Newly appointed acting Principle Sung Cheuk-fan, right, and school board member Lui Ki-cheung at Hing Tak School in Tuen Mun. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Earlier in the day, a member of the board had spoken on a radio programme to reassure parents that the school was ready for the new academic year.

“Given that the principal has been removed, 95 per cent of the school’s problems are already solved. The remaining 5 per cent are only finance related,” Lui Ki-cheung said.