bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

HONGKONG'S oldest graduate donned her cap and gown yesterday to join 89 other ''ancient ones'' for their graduation from the Senior Citizens' College, run by a Yau Tong home for the aged.

  Ms Lou Shui, 95, received her certificates for Chinese language, environmental protection, volunteer social work and sociology at a ceremony charged with enthusiasm.

  The average age of graduates from the college - run by the Hongkong Chinese Women's Club Madam Wong Chan Sook Ying Memorial Care and Attention Home - was in the late 80s, but there was no disguising the excitement of the day.

  The graduates in each of the 11 courses offered stood to attention as their representatives went on stage to collect their certificates. Top graduates received long rounds of applause as they collected their individual shields of excellence.

  Ms Lou said she chose to study environmental protection because ''we never heard about such things in my day and I'm always interested in anything new''.

  She had eight years of traditional home tutoring in her native Toi Shan in Guangdong province before she was married.

  Before coming to Hongkong in the early 1950s, she taught all the children in her family. She became a full-time family baby-sitter after moving to the territory with her husband, their son and three daughters.

  Ms Lou said proudly: ''All my 17 grandchildren are university graduates and my 15 great-grandchildren are attending university now. When the immediate family gets together there are more than 50 of us.''   She decided four years ago to go into the home, despite family objections.

  She based her decision on her need for companionship and said it was one of the best moves she had ever made.

  To pass the one-year courses, Ms Lou attended daily lectures, did homework and sat for examinations.

  ''It was not difficult. I enjoyed them,'' she said. ''They were fun, challenging and helped pass the time.''   Miss Anita Wong Yiu-ming, the superintendent of the home, said Ms Lou was not a typical student. ''Most of today's 90 graduates had no formal education.

  ''They made excellent students because their eagerness to learn ensured they were very punctual and took their classes seriously.''   The fact that the graduation certificates are not recognised by any other organisation did nothing to lessen the heartbreak of the ''handful'' who failed to graduate.



Students prove you are never too old to learn