iSurprise Hoi Bun School

Hakka-style education

Hoi Bun School is the oldest school in Lei Yue Mun. It started as a private school for the quarry families, then it opened its doors for all kids in the village. The Hakkas made up a large part of the population of Lei Yue Mun, which is why the curriculum included traditional Chinese subjects like calligraphy and mathematics were taught with an abacus.

It takes a village...

During WWII, the school building was damaged, which left some of its classrooms unusable. Because of the big post-war influx of migrants, nearly a hundred students were packed in just two classrooms. The villagers got together and successfully raised funds to build four more classrooms. The 1960s and 70s were its heydays: over 500 students attended the school.

Lei Yue Mun Plus

The school was closed in 2008, long after the quarry stopped operation. The old school building has since been repurposed into Lei Yue Mun Plus, a creative hub for art exhibitions and pottery making classes.

The School spirit lives on

After the school closed, the board donated its financial reserves of HK$550,000 to establish the Lei Yue Mun Hoi Bun School Scholarship at the Baptist University of Hong Kong, continuing the legacy of the school.

Good to know

At the time, Hoi Bun School was one of the biggest village schools in this part of Hong Kong. The school even inspired then-Governor MacLehose to develop the 9-year free education system in the city! The headmaster of the school, Mr Ip Sung (葉宋), was awarded the Badge of Honour by Queen Victoria for his efforts in promoting village education.