After the financial crisis scandal of Kelly Hill School in Hong Kong in early 2021, in August last year, it was announced that it had hired Paul Ellmes, a new principal on loan, saying that the school would get back on track and had contacted parents as the principal on many occasions.
According to sources, Ellmes did not obtain a work visa and was taken away by law enforcement agencies for investigation at the end of last year. The immigration department also visited the school premises for investigation. The prescription responded that he did not comment on the case.
Supervisor Chen Jiner stated that Ellmes had been fired in November last year, and that he had not taken up the post and was not paid due to visa issues, and that he did not know whether he was arrested.
However, the statement of the British School of Mount Kelly differs from that of the Hong Kong school, saying that it has not appointed Ellmes as the principal and has no knowledge of its visa issue.
Kelly Hill School Investigation and Page | Inside the Financial Distress Scandal of the British Noble School Hong Kong Branch
Kelly Hill School in Hong Kong announced in August 2021 that it had hired Paul Ellmes as a foreign principal, but the news stated that Ellmes had not obtained a work visa.
(Hong Kong Kelly Hill School official website),
The Immigration Department visited the school building twice to investigate the school's dismissal of the principal who did not obtain a visa in November
It is understood that the Immigration Department suspected that someone had violated the conditions of stay and was employed in Hong Kong without authorization. In early September and mid-November 2021, he went to the Kailishan School to investigate the Hazhao Nianxing school premises.
A person familiar with the matter disclosed that after the Immigration Department visited the school in September, Paul Ellmes stopped arriving at the school and returned to school at the end of October.
According to sources, the operation in early September was directed at Ellmes, who was also investigated for visa issues at the end of last year.
According to the school’s invitation letter for admissions activities issued in early November, "Principal Designate" Paul Ellmes was originally scheduled to attend the event on the 20th of the same month, but it is known that Ellmes was investigated by the Immigration Department on the eve of the event and was fired by the school.
The Immigration Department responded to "Hong Kong 01" stating that it would not comment on individual cases.
The school issued an invitation letter for admissions activities at the beginning of November. "Principal Designate" Paul Ellmes was originally scheduled to attend the event on the 20th of the same month.
(Provided by interviewee)
High-profile newly hired principal after financial distress scandal
Kelly Hill School in Hong Kong burst into a financial scandal early last year, and a large number of faculty and staff resigned due to arrears of salary.
The school announced in August last year that the newly hired Paul Ellmes took over as the principal, saying that everything would be back on track.
In the same month, the school also posted a post on its social platform, stating that "Headmaster Paul meeting with staff from quarantine in Hong Kong" was held at the time by "Headmaster Paul meeting with staff from quarantine in Hong Kong".
In August last year, the school posted a message on its social platform, stating that the "Headmaster Paul meeting with staff from quarantine in Hong Kong" was having a video meeting with the staff at the time.
(Hong Kong Kaipingshan School Instagram)
Email as principal
The school website later added the word "Principal Designate" to Paul Ellmes' welcome speech.
However, the reporter came into contact with many parents whose children had attended Kelly Hill School. All of them stated that Ellmes had contacted them as the principal and had never heard of the "principle designate."
According to the email records provided by the parents, Ellmes also used the email address of the principal of Mount Kelly to communicate with the parents as the principal.
It is understood that he also signed internal school documents as the principal in August last year.
Paul Ellmes used the email address of the principal of Mount Kelly in August last year to communicate with parents as principal.
(Provided by interviewee)
Ellmes’ related information has been deleted from the school’s website, and his photo and name have been deleted from the original welcome speech of the principal.
In addition, the school Facebook also deleted the post of the video conference between Ellmes and the faculty in August last year, but the relevant information is still kept on Instagram.
The school website added the word "Designate" in Paul Ellmes' welcome speech.
Supervisor said prospective principal violated terms of employment
The school supervisor Chen Jiner replied that Paul Ellmes had not obtained a work visa and was only the “prospective principal” of the school, but said that he had not listened to the advice of the school operation team to communicate with parents as the principal and violated the terms of employment. He had already violated the terms of employment in early November last year. Terminate his duties.
After Ellmes arrived in Hong Kong in August last year, he dealt with parental enquiries many times as a principal. However, Chen Jiner said that Ellmes has not been paid for three months as a "quasi-principal" in Hong Kong: "I don't know why parents like to find He.” She also said that if the school website used to call Ellmes the principal, the staff in charge of the website "made a mistake."
The school supervisor Chen Jiner (left) replied and admitted that Paul Ellmes (right) had not obtained a work visa, but was just a "prospective principal" of the school, who also claimed that Ellmes had not been paid.
(Provided by interviewee)
Acknowledge that the Immigration Department went to the school to investigate
Chen Jiner admitted that the Immigration Department had visited the school to investigate the issue of employee work visas, but denied that it was aimed at Ellmes: "He has not yet taken office and the school has not been to the school. It shouldn't matter." Chen initially pointed out that Ellmes had not been arrested. However, the name was later changed to be unclear: "This is his own business, and the school is not clear." She also pointed out that after the school fired Ellmes, it had terminated her work visa application to the Immigration Department.
Chen Jiner pointed out to "Hong Kong 01" that Ellmes was appointed by Mount Kelly in the United Kingdom, so after he was fired, he had to wait for the appointment of a new principal in the British school. The teacher is now acting as the principal.
She said that the school is now operating smoothly and has provided the Education Bureau with a certificate of normal operation: "If the Education Bureau is not satisfied, our license will be withdrawn long ago."
▼Hong Kong Kelly Hill Tsim Sha Tsui Good Ownership School ▼
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UK-based school: no Hong Kong principal appointed
However, Guy Ayling, the principal of Mount Kelly's School in the United Kingdom, responded to "Hong Kong 01" stating that the British school did not appoint Paul Ellmes and did not know about his visa issue.
He also pointed out that the Hong Kong school has not contacted the British school regarding the appointment of a new principal or other staff.
The Education Bureau replied to "Hong Kong 01" in November, stating that the position of the principal of Kailishan School is to be appointed by teachers, and the school is still recruiting principals.
The reporter once asked whether the bureau knew that Paul Ellmes did not hold a valid work visa and whether the post of school principal was allowed to remain vacant. The bureau did not answer.
More than 20 parents held a press conference on Friday (19th) and pointed out that they could not return the bonds of Kelly Hill School in Hong Kong. Among them, parents expected to lose tens of millions.
(Photo by Li Yinglin)
Hundreds of millions of bonds for investors were not resolved last year
On the eve of the admissions event of Mount Kelly School in a hotel on Hong Kong Island in November last year, the Education Bureau stated to "Hong Kong 01" that it had written to the school and asked the school to provide proof of normal and continuous operation, otherwise it should not admit students. Or charge tuition.
The reporter asked the Education Bureau again in December whether the school had submitted the required certificates and whether the bureau was satisfied with the school's reply. The bureau did not respond.
Regarding the parents' claim of more than 200 million yuan in bonds from Kailishan School earlier, Chen Jiner said that the matter was a "hand tail" left by the former school operator, and believed that it should be left to the government: "We are not the same company."
Even though the school changed its operator, the parents bought bonds from the "Kelly Hill School".
In this regard, Chen said that as a new operator, he has the responsibility to the school, but he still prefers to deal with the debt problem "first-hand".
Kellyhill School in Hong Kong owes hundreds of millions of yuan in wages and debts. In the name of the newly established "China Hong Kong Kellyhill School Co., Ltd.", the school held an enrollment activity on November 20.
Chen Jiner, the director of the new company, is a former senior of Dagong.com. She did not respond to how to deal with the debt problem.
(Profile picture)
"Hong Kong 01" last year exclusively investigated the insider of the misunderstanding of Kailishan School. The school was in arrears of wages, debts, rent and decoration fees, and was also involved in family disputes. The brothers accused each other of theft. The founder Wang Baixian was also found to have been imprisoned for fraud.
At the end of last year, more than 20 parents held a press conference, claiming that the 200 million yuan student debt was unsuccessful and reprimanded the school for opening a new company to recruit students. It was a "restaurant-style liquidation" operation.
▼Kelly Hill’s enrollment event will not be interviewed by the media on November 20, 2021▼
In November last year, the school held an enrollment activity in the Hong Kong Island Hotel under the name of the newly established "China Hong Kong Kailishan School Co., Ltd." Chen Jiner, the former general manager of the Hong Kong operation center of Dagong.com, served as the director and school supervisor of the new company.
Jiang Zaizhong, chairman of the Hong Kong Tagong Wenhui Media Group, was listed as the officiating guest of the admissions event. The event prohibited many media interviews, including "Hong Kong 01".
In response to the enquiry of "Hong Kong 01", the British school refused to be involved in the enrollment activities.
▼Kelly Hill 2016 groundbreaking ceremony for Tuen Mun So Kwun Wat but the school failed to be established▼
▼Mount Kelly Main School in Mount Kelly, UK▼
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Kelly Hills School Scandal｜The school’s Kaixin company’s admissions banned media interviews, the director refused to answer the 300 million debts, Kelly Hills affiliated companies liquidated 300 million in debt, and 7,000 in cash. Parents: The school debts were frozen over the water. Kelly Hills School investigation 1｜ Wages, rent and debts were liquidated. Founder Wang Baixian failed to explain Kailishan School investigation. 2｜The brothers broke up and mutually repudiated the misappropriation of 3 billion yuan of public funds. Said to leave Hong Kong forever
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