St. Paul's College is the oldest school locally established in Hong Kong. Founded in 1851 with an aim to provide "education to Chinese youths in the English language upon Christian principles", it opened with one tutor and nine students. Today, the school has about 1,250 students, bearing little resemblance to its humble beginning.
It is believed that St. Paul's College is the first Anglo-Chinese school in the Far East. In fact, its founder, the Rev. Vincent John Stanton, is as well the first Colonial Chaplain in the former colony of Hong Kong.
The Chinese characters in the school motto (寅畏上主是為智之本) are from Proverbs 9:10. They are usually translated in English as "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge", in accordance with the King James Version of the Bible. The fact that the motto is in Chinese is significant. While it was more the fashion at that time to use Latin for such a purpose, the far-sighted founders of the school saw St. Pauls College as a hub to foster bilinguals and to bring together the cultures of the East and the West.
Today, St. Paul's College continues its excellent achievements both academically and in extra-curricular activities. Students excel in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination. Some students even won scholarships and places to universities like the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, etc. Students bring home trophies won in inter-school music and sports competitions. The school's old boys contribute in the government and as well as in the academic, professional and business arenas.
The year 2001 marked the 150th Anniversary of the school, and in the same year the school decided to join the Direct Subsidy Scheme, under which the school is given more freedom in the enrollment of students and the design of the curriculum.
The current principal of the school is Timothy W H Ha.
See also
External link
Last updated: 02-18-2005 23:47:43
