GSIS and Ma On Shan

I think that by the board making the decision that they have they have actually alienated more parents than they have won over. They have basically said that no matter what parents want be you secondary or primary or kindergarten your opinion does not count. The board are the ones that are in control and have just gone through an excercise to let parents know this.

The chairman of the board should take note of this. Parents are passionate about their children and only want the best for them and will go to extrodinary lengths to achieve this. Just to be clear their is no issue with the teachers they are doing a great job and must be under unbelivable pressure put on them by the board in having to toe the party line in that I am sure a lot of them don't want MOS either.

If the board thinks that the parents are just going to let this go and all of a sudden play happy in the sand box they are more delusional than I thought they were. I dont think that the parents will give up that easily.
 
genome,

It's understandable that the opposing parents may not give up so easily. But my concern is what they are going to do next. I would like to bring up 2 points. (1) I could only think of the 3 ways for the opposing parents to go about the matter. These 3 ways may not be pleasant, but they are all legitimate. What I am trying to say is that if the opposing parents are not happy with the board's decision, they must tackle the issue head-on ie. try to overturn the decision altogether. What they mustn't do is to accept the decision but take actions that merely cause disruption or delay to the move to MOS. (2) Whatever actions they are going to take, they must do it as soon as possible. For example, if they are contemplating a legal action, they should do it immediately because once the board signs the contract with the Government, it will be even more difficult to reverse the situation. Furthermore, as time elapses, more and more resources of the school will be committed to making the move to MOS.

genome said:
I think that by the board making the decision that they have they have actually alienated more parents than they have won over. They have basically said that no matter what parents want be you secondary or primary or kindergarten your opinion does not count. The board are the ones that are in control and have just gone through an excercise to let parents know this.

The chairman of the board should take note of this. Parents are passionate about their children and only want the best for them and will go to extrodinary lengths to achieve this. Just to be clear their is no issue with the teachers they are doing a great job and must be under unbelivable pressure put on them by the board in having to toe the party line in that I am sure a lot of them don't want MOS either.

If the board thinks that the parents are just going to let this go and all of a sudden play happy in the sand box they are more delusional than I thought they were. I dont think that the parents will give up that easily.
Click to expand...
 
I am not sure what the opposing parents are going to do but I do think they realise time is of essence. I think that the reason nothing has been set in motion as of yet is due to the two week break and most parents are out. The school in its typical fashion dropped this news just before parents were getting ready to go on holiday. If I am not mistaken this seems to be their usual mode of operations.

Lets just see what happens in that I am sure that within the group of opposing parents there are some very talented and well respected individuals in their respective fields and within the Hong Kong community as a whole.
 
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genome and other GSiS parents on the forum,

Here is what I read from Singapore International School's newsletter:

"SIS’s secondary school section will be using the premises of the former Wanchai School as its temporary premises from the 2009/2010 academic year to June 2011. The address of the school is 30, Oi Kwan Road, Wanchai. We will move back to our new, state-of-the-art secondary school campus at 2 Police School Road for the start of the 2011/2012 academics year, when our first pre-university cohort commences their IB Diploma Programme studies. We began renovation of the former Wanchai School premises in March, and this should be completed by July 2009 in time for the start of the new academic year in August 2009. The premises will have the essential features of a secondary school, such as a full-sized, IGCSE-certified Science laboratory, an air-conditioned auditorium, two art studios, two music studios, one dance studio and a well-equipped fitness room. In terms of sports facilities, we are looking at the use of the Morrison Hill swimming pool, Queen Elizabeth Stadium and Happy Valley Recreation Ground, all within 10 minutes' walking distance."

This is the former Victoria Shanghai Academy and the condition of the school is not bad at all if anyone has been to the school area.

It does sound like the school will be come available June 2011. If I were you, I would urge the school to enquire about this school with the Government. If this can be made available to GSIS on June 2011, it would mean that the school will delay the move by one year. So regardless they are operating on 2 or 3 campuses, they are all on HK Island.

I understand how you all feel about the board but it is at a point that parents need to get involved and help push through some of these enquiries with the government. Sometimes it does take a village to make something happen.

It is also an opportunity to let the government know how concerned the parents are from the voices of the parents themselves.

It is time to Act and to Act fast!
 
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this is sure an option which is worth studying...
but there is no communication channel with the school except sending email to the office which usually do not have any response...
 
If there is a will, there is a way. Write to the principal. Make an appointment to see him. Tell him about this. Get the support from other parents. Make plan to talk to the government again.

Take action and drive this. If you really object the move to MOS, exhaust every possibility to prove to the school that there are alternatives.

You all have been saying that board has not tried the best. Why don't you do it yourself?
 
Thank you NV mom we will definitely explore the options that you have suggested in that you are right if the board will do nothing then it is up to the parents to turn over every stone exhaust every option that we have available to us. Once again thank you for you helpful suggestions.
 
Just on a bit of a side note here.

In the SCMP of 18th April there was a letter from Ellen Friedlander in the education section suggesting that the parents who were against the move to MOS where also against the updating of the school. I would like to point out and make it very clear that the parents opposing the move to MOS are 100% behind the redevelopment of the school for the future and are in agreement with the building plans to take the school to the next level.

The one thing that we are against is the decanting site chosen by the board in that we feel that there are alternative options out there.

This same group of opposing parents has also spoken to the education department, sought and had a meeting with political representatives re the move to MOS to see if they could help, offered the services of our substantial network of contacts to the board (which the board declined), poured over building plans for the peak and Pok Fu Lam to try to find alternatives and extra space. So we are working hard to find solutions and are not a group of radicals as was suggested by the letter.

Lastly, all persons entitled to vote were given the chance to voice their opinion in respect to the decanting site. In this vote the overwhelming majority voted against the move. The board however disregarded this majority and did what they wanted anyway.

Make of it what you will.
 
I think this is exactly what the board likes to see...splitting up the parents and let them attack each other both in private and in public so that the board has the time to continue their "underground project"
They have been acting in this direction over and over again, they first split up the primary from the secondary. Then they split up the lower and upper primary. I bet most parents in the secondary are indifferent to the argument because it really does not affect their children in moving to MOS except those has siblings. Plus, I think there are rumors that if MOS project falls apart, there is chance that school is going to decant the secondary or even not passing the IB requirment. Rumors I stress...
Maybe parents on both sides should focus and do not fall for the evil trap.
 
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