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'I should have been taught in Cantonese'

David Phair

Of all my schoolday memories, the principal of my secondary school stands out the most. I went to Queen Elizabeth School in Kowloon, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and at that time it was regarded as being the most prestigious government school in the territory.

When I joined, it was 1960 and Arthur Hinton was the head, and what I remember most about him was that he was a liberal. It was because of him that we were allowed to do all kinds of things that were unimaginable then and even today. For example, we could stay overnight in a tent in the school compound when other school kids were not allowed to stay behind at school after hours.

Furthermore, the school was the only one which had a camp in the New Territories, which meant we had access to extra-curricular activities. We'd build campfires and one time we constructed canoes. The effect of all this was that it made us mix with each other and learn to be adventurous which in turn made us good communicators and independent thinkers. That was important for me because I was a shy boy.

It was a very colonial school which aspired to British values and there was a very visible Union Jack during speech day. It didn't strike me as being weird - my father was a civilian in the British army - just formal. One teacher was particularly memorable. Ms Miles taught music and was a real inspiration. It's because of her that I developed a life-long love of music and won the music prize at school.

It was at school that I decided I wanted to become a priest. I'd been baptised in Form Two and I admired the priesthood. When I finished Form Five, I decided I wanted to go into the seminary but I needed the permission of my parents. However, being the eldest, they wanted me to get married so they refused to give in. After Form Seven, the same thing happened again and because I was not 21 they still refused.

As a result, I went on to the University of Hong Kong where I did a degree in translation, which I thought could help me pursue priestwork such as editing church magazines.

It wasn't until the early 1970s that my interest in the environment really grew. I read a book called The Silent Spring, which talked about no more birds or environment due to man. When I went on to do my doctorate in Scotland on translation pedagogy, I became exposed to the green movement there. Then when I returned, I discovered I was strange because I cycled to work and that nobody recycled their newspapers. When I took the stairs instead of the lift people thought I was crazy. It occurred to me no one was doing anything about the environment or pollution in Hong Kong so I thought I might as well myself.

As a result, I went on to co-found Greenpower in 1988, which is an influential green group, the Produce Green Foundation in 1989, which set up the first commercial organic farm in Hong Kong, and the Vegetarian Society of Hong Kong. I've also worked as a school teacher, editor, graphic designer, instructional television producer and presenter, newspaper columnist and radio talk-show host.

When I look on my education I wish there was one thing I could've changed. I believe in mother-tongue teaching and I should've been taught in Cantonese although my school was proud and famous because it was 'English'. Education is only meaningful when it's done in a natural way. It's about changing people's hearts and therefore it has to be authentic. Unfortunately, in Hong Kong schools people are acting all kinds of different roles with teachers using a language they are not good at, resulting in students switching off and feeling alienated.

Dr Simon Chau Sui-cheong was talking to David Phair

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