Description
In the 1960s and 1970s, due to family difficulties, many young people in Hong Kong were unable to continue their education after Form 3. They lacked opportunities for employment, personal development or vocational training. After repeated social unrest in Hong Kong in 1967, Charles Sutcliffe, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police, advocated the establishment of Police Cadet School for the first time in 1968. As a result, the Government founded the Royal Hong Kong Police Cadet School in September 1973 at Fan Gardens, Fanling. In 1977, Dodwell’s Ridge Camp at Sheung Shui was converted into the Cadet School’s campus.
The school’s motto was “Wisdom, Bravery, Honesty and Perseverance”: “Wisdom” meant “The wise are free from perplexities”, “Bravery” meant “The bold are free from fear”, “Honesty” meant “Honesty is the best policy” and “Perseverance” meant “Perseverance overcomes difficulties”. The student cadets were required to complete a two-year training programme and pass a number of rigorous exercises, including physical training and academic assessment, which was equivalent to Form 5 level, before they could pass out from the Police Cadet School.
Following reforms in the Hong Kong education system and an increase in the number of secondary school places, the Cadet School completed its glorious mission in March 1990 and was formally closed. Over the period, a total of 4,298 young people completed its training programmes. Apart from projecting a positive image of the Force to young people, the Cadet School also provided them with physical training and learning opportunities. After training, graduate cadets could join any of the disciplinary forces (including the Force, the Customs and Excise Department, the Immigration Department, the Fire Services Department, the Correctional Services Department, etc.). This plaque lists the most outstanding cadets in the past as a token of recognition.
