A primary school teacher in Hong Kong is being recognised with a national award for her years of compassionate teaching.
The teacher was nominated by the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union in the Compassion Ambassador category for South China Morning Post’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.
Wong Wai-chu is a mathematics and general studies teacher who regularly writes to her students and communicates with their parents.
She has written letters to parents over her Christmas holidays, thanking them for helping with school activities and gently reminding students to not leave their exam revision to the last minute.
Wong said she feels a strong sense of responsibility towards her pupils.
“I take care of their studies, their personal development and even their diets,” she said.
“Young children are vulnerable. Therefore teachers must have self-discipline and be careful with words,” Wong noted. “Hurtful words could leave an imprint on a child’s mind forever.”
She said many pupils at Tin Shui Wai Methodist Primary School – where she began her teaching career 16 years ago – come from troubled families.
Wong shared that she too did not have an easy time when she was growing up.
“I was never a high achiever academically. I started late as a teacher,” she said, adding that she viewed teaching as a lifelong career.
“Some of my first students have just entered university…Some of them have come to visit me after finishing their primary school studies here.”
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