Teaching is not about the salary

Post date: Dec 08, 2015 7:38:10 PM

In his column ("Teach for joy, not for salary", July 20), Sidney Yuen brought sunshine to an otherwise drab Saturday morning.

Apparently a young person (Jane) wrote to his column to find out about the prospect of finding a teaching position in Hong Kong.

She asked what qualifications she would need for "teaching at a kindergarten versus a university or a business college? Which would have better hours and remuneration?"

Mr Yuen, an expert in human resources, technology and consulting, made no bones in telling what he thought through some very direct, wisely chosen words. He said it would appear that Jane's "motivation to get into teaching is better hours and better remuneration".

He then concluded by saying, "The more important question you should ask yourself is: 'What makes you happy?' If you enjoy teaching and have the patience, care and desire to develop a student's potential, then this is for you."

Make no mistake, and I don't think I am alone in this, people who have a profound understanding of education or education as a profession would probably concur with Mr Yuen and myself that teaching is not a job. It goes way beyond eight-to-four, five days a week, or putting food on the dinner table.

A personal theory of mine has always been that those who choose the teaching profession in order to make a good living will be doomed to fail. Education is a divine mission, not something that would serve to fortify the "hand-to-mouth" mechanics.

Hong Kong is said to be going down a slippery slope as a result of the collective myopic vision on education.