Under the Trees and the Blue Sky

Village schools in the New Territories originated from Chinese educational tradition and have developed in a unique way since the 1950s, transforming from the old-style private schools that used to run in ancestral temples into modern ones complying with modern standards and rules; in terms of curriculum, they became integrated into the official educational system of Hong Kong.Regrettably, most local village schools were closed one after another due to changes of villages and the government's coercion, and are gradually forgotten.Village schools in the New Territories not only made education accessible to villagers, but also served as a cohesive force of clans, fulfilling an important social function.To show readers the history and importance of these village schools, the book documents stories of different village schools and reveals the significance of village school operation to Hong Kong's education and social development after research of archives of over 50 village schools in the New Territories.