Tale of success lights up school's big day

Shung Tak Catholic English College's 40th anniversary was an elaborate extravaganza that matched the exuberant mood of the occasion.

It started on a high note with Scottish bag-pipers ushering in Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiu and other guests for the speech day and graduation ceremony, and ended with a lavish dinner at a Yuen Long restaurant.

Guest-of-honour Anthony Tong Kai-hong, Deputy Director of Education, encouraged students with a story which emphasised how failure in a subject did not precipitate a dire future.

He said with the right learning environment and guidance from teachers, a student could easily turn around his fortunes.

Citing the famous Broadway production My Fair Lady , Mr Tong said that in the play Professor Henry Higgins took in Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl from the streets of London, and transformed her lower-class Cockney accent into eloquent English, with perfect pronunciation. He said this was accomplished through guidance and patience, and effort on the part of both teacher and student.

The dance club entertained the gathering by staging three performances, including a Spanish and a ballroom dance, which featured colourful costumes and energetic routines.