At an early stage of the development of Chung Chi College, the Student Christian Fellowship was aware of the suffering of children who were deprived of education. Therefore, in the summer vacation of 1953, the College launched a children’s literacy class. Later, the fellowship saw the need for free classes and decided to establish the “Chung Chi Christian Fellowship Free Evening School for Commoners”. With the support of the College, the School registered with the Hong Kong Government’s Education Department and opened on the Chung Chi campus on Caine Road in October of the same year.

At first, the School provided classes from primary one to four, and later from primary one to six, becoming a fully established primary school. Adopting the day school curriculum, the School provided evening classes from Monday to Friday and served a total of 130 students. In 1956, the School was relocated with Chung Chi to the new campus at Ma Liu Shui. It recruited farmers’ and workers’ children from nearby villages. The number of students gradually increased from 14 to 70.

Chung Chi students were responsible for the daily operation of the School. The Fellowship selected a member as the principal and recruited the College’s students to serve as teaching staff and share the schoolwork. Under the premise of not affecting students’ homework, each teacher only taught four sessions weekly. Enlightenment and encouragement were the main education principles, and corporal punishment was not imposed in the School. Evening assemblies and various activities were arranged for nurturing pupils. Teachers also conducted home visits after exams and during holidays to have a better understanding of their students’ situation for teaching purposes. The teaching staff also held regular meetings and retreats to review teaching strategies, so that they could put their knowledge into practice, which benefitted both the staff and students.

Funds and supplies for the School were raised by the Fellowship, and generous donations were received from Chung Chi staff, students, and people from all walks of life. Given the children coming from poor families, the School distributed milk powder to them every week. It also asked the College doctor to examine the students’ physical health and cure them if they got sick. It fully embodied how Chung Chi students practised the spirit of the College’s couplet——extending the love of Jesus Christ by caring for all people, and cultivating outstanding talents.