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Nobel Prize winner Daniel Tsui Chye is a perfect example of the success of mother-tongue teaching, the principal of his former school says.

         Pui Ching Middle School head Cheng Sing-yip said Professor Tsui's success vindicated the school's unshaken belief in using mother-tongue teaching over the past 100 years.

         Professor Tsui, who shared the prestigious prize with two others for their discoveries in physics, graduated from Pui Ching in 1957. He then headed to Princeton University in the United States for further studies.

 'We're very pleased to have such an outstanding student. Every Chinese should be proud of him and his success proves that we've been right to promote mother-tongue teaching in schools. It helps students absorb knowledge effectively. That's why we have produced so many outstanding graduates including scholars, businessmen and government officials,' Mr Cheng said.

 Students were encouraged to take part in extra-curricular activities aimed at developing their self-esteem, organisational skills and community spirit.

 'Our students have a strong sense of belonging to the school. We hope they continue to make a contribution to society,' he said.

 The school was named Pui Ching College when it was established in Guangzhou in 1889.

  It moved to Hong Kong in 1933 and became known as Pui Ching Middle School.

   Hong Kong Baptist University president Daniel Tse Chi-wai; Professor Woo Chia-wei, Vice-Chancellor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; mathematician Professor Yau Shing-tung; City Contemporary Dance Company founder Willy Tsao Shing-yuen; and award-winning director Stanley Kwan Kam-pang are some of its distinguished former graduates.

 Pui Ching students said they were proud of Professor Tsui's achievement and thought he could be a great inspiration for Hong Kong pupils and those on the mainland.

 Seventh-former Carmen Lam Ka- mun, 17, said: 'Though I hadn't heard about him earlier, this honour is very close to us.

  'I never thought my school could produce a Nobel laureate.

  'The honour not only recognises his scientific research, but also shows students at Chinese schools can outperform others. Language is not the sole criteria for success. It depends on how hard you work.'  Dennis Kwok Wai-hang, 18, said the event had received world-wide publicity and it might not be long before the mainland produced similar outstanding scholars.

  'I'm pleased to share in his glory,' he said.

  'This award proves that there is no difference between Chinese schools and English schools if stu dents are given equal opportunities to develop their potential.'  Gary Lau Tsz-yeung, 19, said the SAR Government should take this opportunity to promote mother-tongue teaching.

  'There are many misconceptions about Chinese-medium schools. Our school has been committed to mother-tongue instruction for a long time and our contributions to society speak for themselves,' he said.

  Arts student Vincent Chow Shu- yeung, 17, said the Nobel laureate's achievement was nothing special, but wondered why no Chinese had been honoured in the literary field.

 'Many Chinese have won Nobel prizes in science over the past few years. But what about literature? I believe that many Chinese writers are world-class and can match their Western counterparts,' he said.

  Stephen Poon Kwok-wai, 18, said the Nobel prize was good news for Chinese-medium schools.

  'It feels rather strange when people see my school emblem and ask whether I come from Pui Ching. Before, people only took note of the achievements of students from English schools.

  'Professor Tsui has shown that Chinese schools can also have good students.

  'I'm proud to be a student of his former school,' he said.



Nobel-y serving language cause