Reflections: why teachers make good role models for young people
For a long time, I have felt there is a dearth of role models for our young people. There are plenty of pop idols - from Canto-pop's Joey Yung Cho-yee and Eason Chan Yik-shun to the actor-cum-entrepreneur Nicholas Tse Ting-fung.
But when it comes to examples of people who are models for how to live a fruitful and meaningful life, it's hard to come up with names. Li Ka-shing, Asia's richest man, once topped the poll for the public figure most admired by young people.
His entrepreneurial success is beyond doubt. But a society needs more diverse talents than those who have succeeded in striking it rich. In reality, anyway, only a handful will become billionaires.
Teachers have not enjoyed a very high social status and deserve more respect
Hong Kong's examination-oriented, high-pressure education system does little to encourage deviance from the norm, which is to study hard, achieve good grades, and get into a good university to secure a well-paid job.
Such a pragmatic approach undermines the spirit of inquiry, which is indispensable for blazing new trails. Without the courage to think differently, none of the Nobel laureates would have earned that honour.
But my thinking changed recently following an encounter at the SCMP Student of the Year awards ceremony. Sixth-Former Tam Pok-man, from Sing Yin Secondary School, won the grand prize for his all-round development and passion for physics.
He was surrounded by teachers equally enthusiastic about the science, including principal Kwok But. One of his students had returned to the school to teach physics, inspiring another to follow in his footsteps.