Hong Kong high school dropout, 70, on course for master’s degree in fine arts
Former long-time construction worker finds passion after personal turmoil
After more than three decades working in construction sites, Clint Ho Kai-yim decided to go back to school.
Earlier this year, the 70-year-old Hongkonger obtained a bachelor's degree in fine arts, a local programme co-hosted by RMIT University in Melbourne and Hong Kong Art School.
But Ho’s dream didn’t stop there. After securing his bachelor's degree, the grandfather gained admission to the university’s master’s degree programme in fine arts.
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Recalling his days as a teenager, Ho says he was confused and didn’t know what to do during his secondary school years. He eventually dropped out. And it wasn’t until he was divorcedthat he realised how badly he wanted to be a student again.
“From 1962 to 1966, I was studying in high school, but I wasn’t sure what was going on and what to do next,” he says. “I was unable to achieve a high score despite my best efforts.”
At the time, Ho found it difficult to understand and remember what he learned at school. After completing Form Three, he left school and worked full-time.
His first job came at a factory in the late 1960s, when the city’s manufacturing industry was still booming. In the 1980s, he worked on the mainland as many local manufacturers moved their bases to the Pearl River Delta because of cheaper labour costs and rent.