Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School (BLMCSS) is a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...

 in Sha Tin
Sha Tin
Sha Tin, also spelled Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District.-Geography:...

, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, near Lek Yuen Estate. It was established in 1978 by the Hong Kong Baptist Convention. Situated in the new town of Sha Tin
Sha Tin New Town
Sha Tin New Town is one of the new towns in Hong Kong. It is within the Sha Tin District, which covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Fo Tan, Tai Shui Hang, Ma On Shan, etc. With development started in the 1970s, it covers an area of 35.87 square kilometres . It presently has a population over...

, the school is a co-educational grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...

 offering education at the first to seventh form levels education in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. English is the major medium of instruction
Medium of instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or...

 whereas Cantonese are used for subjects like Chinese History, Chinese Literature etc., and Mandarin Chinese is also taught.

School ethos

Under the Hong Kong Baptist Convention, the school was founded by the Lui Ming Choi Foundation. It is one of the five secondary schools operating under the supervision of the Convention. The School’s motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

 is "明道致知" in Chinese , derived from the idea of Zhu Xi
Zhu Xi
Zhū​ Xī​ or Chu Hsi was a Song Dynasty Confucian scholar who became the leading figure of the School of Principle and the most influential rationalist Neo-Confucian in China...

, a Confucianist in Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

 and incorporated this into Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 belief, which means understanding God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

’s teachings to become wise and intellectual
. This concludes the expectation for its graduates. The school aims at enhancing student's virtue (德), wisdom (智), physique (體), fellowship (群), aesthetics (美) and spirituality (靈). The Christian-styled education of the school is reflected in the quote from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

 displayed at the main entrance of the campus. It says: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10).

Though the School holds the spread of the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

 to be one of its missions, the atmosphere is relatively open and liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...

, not only in the religious aspect, but also the socio-political. Till to date, the School and its Student Union hold memorial service and activities concerning the Tiananmen Square protests
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...

 and June Fourth Movement which happened in mainland China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, 1989.

Campus

Situated at the bank of Shing Mun River
Shing Mun River
Shing Mun River, or Shing Mun River Channel, is a river in Sha Tin, Hong Kong.-History:The original Shing Mun River began at Needle Hill, and flowed into the former Tide Cove , a shallow bay. In the 1970s, Tide Cove was drained and turned to Sha Tin New Town...

, the campus development is restrained. Nonetheless, the school extended the new wing in 1999 and undertook renovation and classroom reshuffle in order to facilitate the setting up of its multimedia laboratory and language laboratory. In the construction plan, a roof garden
Roof garden
A roof garden is any garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, and recreational opportunities....

 was included. The building of garden expanded the very limited space in where casual activities or even relaxation for students and staff could be taken place. Apart from classrooms and congregation hall, the school equips with science laboratories, playgrounds, rooms for various kinds of art, language and multimedia facilities for modern education. The school applied to Education Bureau (EDB) in 2007 for a new campus site reserved under the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation Tai Wai Maintenance Centre Property Development Project, but lost to Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School.

Education reform of Hong Kong

Witnessing the vast change brought by the education reform in Hong Kong, the school was transformed to fit into the new environment and well preserve its teaching and learning quality. The new curriculum with new highlight on social science and liberal studies will be introduced. Syllabi
Syllabus
A syllabus , is an outline and summary of topics to be covered in an education or training course. It is descriptive...

 for public examination for the entrance of university will soon be revised to catch the structural change of Hong Kong's educational system, from seven years secondary education to six years whilst one more year will be added to tertiary education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...

.

The school has a strong structure bounding both internally and externally. The 3 main internal bodies, the Parents' Association, the Alumni Association and the Student Union, engage intimately in various aspects of school operations. Externally, the School has strong linkages with secondary schools over the city and educational institutions. In 2004, the Education and Manpower Bureau named the school as one of the twenty school tiding direct partnership with the best 20 in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

.

Student exchange

Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School hosts an international student exchange program
Student exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...

me. Each year, there is at least one foreign student joining in for one academic year. In the past, there were exchange students from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 and so on. Local students are encouraged to apply for exchange opportunities abroad. There are around 5 to 10 senior form pupils experiencing their life-time adventures on different continents.

Class structure

Like most other secondary schools in Hong Kong, Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School serves form 1 through form 7. Form 1 to 3 are Junior classes; 4 and 5 are Certificate; and, 6 and 7 are Matriculation.

Junior classes studies subjects of all streams like languages, computer, arts, science, sports and many others. As a Christian school, studied of bible is included in the curriculum. Certificate classes are targeted at the HKCEE, an open certificate examination for secondary education. Students are divided into arts, business or science stream according to their interests. For matriculation, their studies is further divided and confined within their preferred stream.

From the academic year 2009, the Form 4 class will be ceased, and those calsses will be replaced into NS1, NS2 and NS3 respectively to complying with the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education will be the only public exam in the new 3-3-4 education system to be introduced in Hong Kong secondary schools; it will be a replacement of the existing Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination and be the...

.

House system

In this school, all students and all teaching staffs are assigned into one of the four houses, they are called Red House (紅社), Yellow House (黃社), Blue House (藍社) and Green House (綠社) respectively. In each teaching year, there are several competitions held between those four houses including the Swimming Gala and Athlete Meet. And some of other matches are also competited among those four houses.

Extracurricular activities

The School traditionally accommodates an active student body. Students participate widely in programmes and competitions of sports, music, performing arts, technological innovation and so on. There are more than 80 extracurricular activities students, most numerous options among schools in Hong Kong. Numerous students secured prestigious awards like Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship in Hong Kong.

Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School boasts as one of the HK secondary schools with the largest variety of extracurricular activities for students to participate in, with particular strengths in sports, drama, and music. Many prizes have been awarded to the students of BLMCSS. Below is a list of student clubs:
  • Student Union
  • Academic Societies: Art Society, Home Economics Society, Europe Club, Bridge Club, Mathematics Society, Magic Club, etc.
  • Service: Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Red Cross, Peer Support Scheme, Stage Support team, CampusTV
  • Sports: PE Society and other ball teams
  • Music: Music Society, and more than 30 different instrument class, including both Western and Chinese instruments
  • Drama: Drama Club (Drama is a compulsory academic subject for F.1 - F.3 students)

Student union

The Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School Student Union (also known as BLMCSSSU or LMCSU) has the longest history in its sort among schools in the East New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...

. Formed in 1983, the Student Union
Student union
Student union may refer to:* Students' union, or student government in the U.S., a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance...

 has been playing a key role in students' activities, as well as external involvement. Departments of the Union organise ranges of programme and activity to enhance learning experience and campus life. It also connects the student population with other schools' fellows through joint schools functions and friendly dialogues.

The Union is a democratic organisation which consists of two main bodies: the Executive Committee, which is the cabinet executing mandated power, and the Representative Council, holding power of amending the Constitution of the Union, passing working plans, budgets, approving reports, debate and vote on Committee proposals. In principle, the Committee and the Council cooperate to enact and push forward any proposals and plans. The principal acts as the President-in-Nomine. 2 to 3 teaching staff are assigned by the Principal to be Advisors to supervise and guide the operation of the Union, whom are seen to be real supervisors. The Committee coordinates working schedule and details with Advisors' consent, though not bounded in the Constitution.

The Constitution had been initially drafted in the early 1980s when several minor amendments were taken. It was until years around 1999 to 2001, the Constitution was completely reviewed. Two new drafts were proposed to the Council where the second one, which is the currently enforced one, were passed on the 19th Union Council. During those years, there was deep division among student leaders and head teaching staff. The conflict was ended up with a Committee concession to modify the more radical edition into a moderate one. Nevertheless, the period of quarrel divided the student leadership into polars that affected the politics in subsequent Committees.

Electoral system

The Committee is elected annually and election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...

s are held by the Election Committee under the Council. All students of the School are eligible to cast one vote against proposed cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

(s). They choose between or among one of the cabinets, or cast a confidence vote towards the single proposed cabinet. Usually, proposed cabinet(s) acquire 3 to 4 weeks to campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...

. During the campaigning period, there are 2 rounds of policy debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...

s held in the compulsory basis in front of all students, where they can post questions against cabinet(s). In 2010, that is, the election of the 28th Executive Committee, due to a larger number of proposed cabinets, all the 6 proposed cabinets took part in an extra-session of debate after school. If no valid result were generated, the Election Committee will meet and hold the second round of election, till the third round, after that the President-in-Nomine will assign a student to be the Chairperson to form his/her cabinet.

Counselors
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...

 are elected once a year. There is one seat for every class, therefore 31 in total. The method adopted is simple majority
Simple majority
Simple majority may refer to:In American and Canadian usage:* Majority, a voting requirement of more than half of all ballots castUsage elsewhere:* Plurality, a voting requirement of more ballots cast for a proposition than for any other option...

 and monitored by the class teacher at the academic year commencement in September. Nomination is open to all in the class except members in any proposed cabinet(s) in the Committee election. Generally, most senior will seek incumbency and have sort of association with proposed cabinet(s) to complete the political system of the Union.

School song

Composed by Chan Kin Hung.

Be thankful to the Lord for our school,
His grace, guidance and blessings forever impart

Living in fellowship we're all in pursuit of Truth, Love and progress.

Merrily we strive with faith and will in face of all battles of life

Cause we have new Life up held by His power

Stand we together hand in hand

Show the world we have valour and wisdom to offer.

Alumni

Due to the influence of the serving culture in their alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...

, alumni are observed in facets of social commitment. Large portion of graduates pitched themselves into education, some of them in academic research. Similarly large portion achieved qualification in professions like legal, medical services, and engineering business.

Notable alumni

  • Chiu, Wai Tak (趙慧德): Members, Gay Singers (well-known local a capella group)
  • Fong, Ngai (方毅): Assistant Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Government of Hong Kong
    Government of Hong Kong
    The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...

  • Ho, Siu Fong (何小芳), MBChB: Medical Practitioner, Médecins Sans Frontières
    Médecins Sans Frontières
    ' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...

     Hong Kong
  • Lam, Ching Man (林正文) : Co-Founder, Hong Kong Secondary Students Union
    Hong Kong Secondary Students Union
    The Hong Kong Secondary Students Union is a pro-democracy student organisation in Hong Kong established in August 2003 by some pro-democratic secondary school students of Hong Kong...

  • Lau, Chong Fuk , PhD : Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Chinese University of Hong Kong
    The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...

  • Ng, Cheuk Yin (伍卓賢): Composer, lyricist, musician, and performer
  • Ng, Gene Bond (伍展邦): Co-Founder, Hong Kong Secondary Students Union
    Hong Kong Secondary Students Union
    The Hong Kong Secondary Students Union is a pro-democracy student organisation in Hong Kong established in August 2003 by some pro-democratic secondary school students of Hong Kong...

  • Sun, Ka Yee (孫嘉兒) : Swimmer, Hong Kong Swimming Team; Record Holder for Hong Kong 50m Long Pool Breast Stroke
  • Tam, Chung Ming (譚俊明): Cyclist, Hong Kong Cycling Team
  • To, Wan Wai (杜蘊慧): Former correspondent and anchor, TVB News
    TVB News
    TVB News , formally known as the News and Information Division , is the newsgathering arm of Hong Kong's Television Broadcasts Limited...

  • Wong, Sau Mei (王秀媚): Teacher of Fung Yiu King Secondary School, died in the Pat Sin Leng wildfire
    1996 Pat Sin Leng wildfire
    The 1996 Pat Sin Leng wildfire was a wildfire in Pat Sin Leng, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong on 10 February, 1996 . It was the worst wildfire in local history...

     on 10 February 1996 while attempting to save her student hiking team.
  • Wong, Sze Heng (黃思荇): Editor, RTHK Chinese Radio News
  • Au, Wing Lam (區穎琳): DJ of Ultimate 903

External links

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