OpinionTeacher tragedy calls for schools review

The shock and sorrow that followed the death of a veteran teacher who fell from a school building last week are now giving way to questions and anger as details unfold. While it is premature to reach conclusions, the allegations, in particular those relating to unreasonable work demands by the school principal, are disturbing. It is imperative for the government and school authorities to investigate the case thoroughly and review existing policies, management and supervision.

It was reported that 48-year-old Chinese-language teacher and librarian Lam Lai-tong had been suffering a lot of stress at work, including being ordered by principal Law Yuen-yee to come in during sick leave and told to revise a letter of apology over inadequacies in her performance. She was said to have complained to Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, which runs the Leo Tung-hai Lee Primary School in Tin Shui Wai, but to no avail. If details provided by anonymous teachers at a meeting over the weekend are any guide, grievances run deep among staff. Since 2015, at least two complaints have been filed against Law, who was said to be “emotionally unstable” following the incident and has been placed on leave. The Post has been unable to reach her for comment.

The tragedy not only puts the spotlight on the power of principals and their management style, but also raises questions over the government policy on school management as well as the supervision of education bodies.

The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals has set the right tone by launching an independent investigation, with an assurance that staff who come forward to give evidence need not be worried about any comeback. But the probe will not be complete without looking into the way the group supervises school operations and handles staff complaints. The Education Bureau also has a role to play.

There is further room for a review of the school management mechanism. There is concern that principals wield much power, but there are too few checks and balances under the policy that delegates management to schools and their sponsoring bodies. Improvements should be made once the outcome of the investigation is known.