La Salle Primary School

La Salle Primary School (LSPS, Chinese: 喇沙小學) is a boys' primary school in Kowloon, Hong Kong, established by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, a Roman Catholic religious teaching order founded by St. John Baptist de La Salle.

History

Foundation

La Salle Primary School was formally established in September 1957 by Brother Henry Pang, using the building of the former La Salle College (Annex) built in 1937. At the time, La Salle Primary School had 10 classes and a total student count of 425.

The expansions

On the 28th June 1960, a completely new wing, a mirror image of the original 1937 structure, was completed. This new wing was built to the west of the existing building, with an extra storey added. Given the extra space, the school was able to expand to 32 classes with 16 in the morning and 16 in the afternoon. Primary 2, 4 and 6 students went to the AM section while Primary 1, 3 and 5 students went to the PM section while the classes on Saturday operated alternately.

In 1972, a second expansion of the school was completed. It provided much needed facilities for the school, precisely two classrooms, a hall, an audio-visual aids room, a library, a storyland, a swimming pool and a new football pitch. The expansion also gave room for the quarters for the La Salle Brothers. The school now expanded to 36 classes with 18 in the morning and 18 in the afternoon.

eparation

Ever since the establishment of La Salle Primary School, it has always been one school by any standards (even though the school operated in two separate sessions). However, in 1987, Brother Raphael Egan, the Supervisior at the time, separated the school into two separate AM and PM schools. It took 3 years to complete the change (1988 - 1991)

Recent Years

Redevelopment

In 1998, the school's Management Committee responded to the Government's policy of Whole Primary Schooling and started the planning of the school's redevelopment. The Proposal was approved by the Government in 1999 and the funding was also approved by the Legislative Council. The redevelopment consists of 2 Phases.

Phase 1 began in July 2000 and was completed in August 2002. Phase 1 demolished part of the school to make room for the construction of the new main school building and to fill up the original swimming pool for use as a football pitch until the end of Phase 1.

After the end of Phase 1, teachers and students were transferred to the new main school building in September 2002, and La Salle Primary School was reunited as a 36-class whole day primary school after the 15 years of separation since 1987. After that, Phase 2 began and it was completed in 2005. Phase 2 demolished the remainder of the old school building and the construction of a football pitch above ground, and an indoor swimming pool and car park underground.

The 2 Phases resulted in above standard facilities with a 10-metre high and very spacious hall/gymnasium which could hold a maximum of about 2000 people, or 8 standard badminton courts, a chapel, an indoor 25-metre swimming pool, a computer network to all parts of the school and finally computers, visualisers and projecters in every classroom. These above-standard facilities, though useful for education, cost some $40 million Hong Kong Dollars and was not funded by the Government. The $40 million was raised among its old boys, parents and friends of La Salle.

List of Principals

AM Session:
* Rev. Brother Henry Pang (1957-1984)
* Mr. Fung Man Fai, Francis (1984-2002)

PM Session:
* Mr. Kwong Ming Tsing (1958-1963)
* Rev. Brother Gregory Lim (1963-1966)
* Mr. Lo Wing Hon, Albin (1966-1974)
* Mr. Louie Wai Ming, Genard (1974-1978)
* Mr. Chan Chung Min, Rock (1978-1998)
* Mrs. Lai Chu Wai Fong, Anita (1998-2000)
* Mrs. Pau Chan Wai Yee, Elizabeth (2000-2002)

Whole Day School
* Mrs. Pau Chan Wai Yee, Elizabeth (2002-2007)
* Mrs. Leung Chow Ka Ping, Emily (2008-)

External links

La Salle Primary School

* [http://www.la-salle.edu.hk/ La Salle Primary School]
* [http://www.la-salle.edu.hk/pta/index.htm/ La Salle Primary School Parent-Teacher Association]

Brothers of the Christian Schools

* [http://www.lasalle.org/ De La Salle Christian Brothers]
* [http://www.lasalle.org.hk/ Lasallian Family Hong Kong]

See also

* La Salle College
* Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
* List of schools in Hong Kong
* Education in Hong Kong