My Life in Hong Kong Report 04香港生活

Navigating School Interviews in Hong Kong

The meandering river flows to the south,

Flowing to the fragrant harbor to take a look.

Pearl of the Orient, my love,

Is your elegance still as romantic as ever?

The crescent moon hangs over the harbor,

Deep in the night, the lights shine bright.

Pearl of the Orient, I stay awake all night,

Guarding the ever-changing promises of the sea.

The above are two verses from the song “Pearl of the Orient,” which was composed by Taiwanese singer Luo Dayou for Hong Kong.

In the previous installment, I mentioned the process of finding a school for my two children and the various difficulties we encountered. After going through some twists and turns, we arrived at an interview for a Christian school in Hong Kong. On the first day, as a parent, I went through the initial “written test.”

I wrote a lengthy 2,000-word “essay,” and one of the interview questions was,“How do you view your child’s education and what aspirations do you have for them in society?” I emphasized that this is a topic that can only be solved and improved through interaction and collaboration between teachers and parents. The school interviewers then asked us to wait for their response. So, we took the train back to my parents’ house in Sheung Shui.

At that time, our whole family was living in a small 20-square-meter apartment at my parents’ place. For many years, it has been common for Hong Kong people to live in such small houses with six family members, but for a new immigrant family from mainland China, it was quite an adjustment.

“Dad, this seems to be the eighth school we’ve interviewed at. Do we still have to go to other schools for interviews tomorrow?”

“Children, Dad has already scheduled appointments for tomorrow to go to two more schools for interviews. We will find a school for you to attend.”

On the crowded train, as I was answering my children’s questions, the school called and informed me that the principal had approved our parent interview and requested that I arrange for both children to take the written test as soon as possible. I immediately replied that I would bring the two children to the school the next day.

The next day, we dressed neatly and arrived at the school early. Before the two children took the written test, the principal arranged a 45-minute meeting between our family and herself, which was unexpected.

Principal Lam was a kind and elegant lady. When she asked me how much I knew about the school, I simply repeated what I had read online according to the provided information. Then we had a pleasant conversation about my understanding of Christianity and my views on education. However, when I posed a sharp question, she put away her smile. I asked her:

“Principal Lam, currently, the Chinese government has tightened policies on all religious activities, including Christianity, and my Christian friends in Shenzhen have told me that the government has banned foreign Christian missionaries, including those from Taiwan, from preaching in China. As the principal of a Christian school, do you feel pessimistic about this?”

“Mr. Lee, your question is quite unique. I am very pleased that you are considering entrusting your two children to us. Let me privately introduce our school to you. Before 1964, several founding teachers of our school were reprimanded and even expelled by the school principal because they conducted a simple ceremony to thank God during lunchtime. Later on, these teachers were advised to leave the school for the same reason. Subsequently, they raised funds to build wooden school buildings and applied for funding and approval from the government and Christian organizations. In 1964, our secondary school was established. Since then, we have opened six secondary schools and two primary schools. Since our school was able to grow and prosper in such difficult times, your question just now is without a doubt.”

Unbeknownst to us, our conversation with Principal Lam had already exceeded 45 minutes. After that, it was time for my two children to take the two-hour written test. As we were leaving the meeting room, I handed over the information about my daughter’s autism to Principal Lam. To my surprise, she smiled and said,“God will make arrangements.”

My wife and I waited in the school lobby, and unexpectedly, five minutes later, a teacher from the school came out with my daughter. She then smiled and suggested that we visit a nearby shopping mall or park on our own since my son’s written test would take another two hours. That evening, my son told me that his sister had only drawn a vertical line on all the test papers and didn’t even know how to write her name!

My wife asked me what we would do if our son was accepted but there was no school willing to accept our daughter. I fell into deep anxiety.

To be continued…