MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): Deputy President, whenever we debate educational issues, I will certainly recall what my sons and I have painfully experienced. It was a vivid case in point that showed exactly the pressure on students and parents. When they were young, I, like many other parents, believed that they would have no future if they did not perform well academically. It was perfectly normal for me to have this mindset, for members of the community then generally upheld the belief that “everything else is low-grade; only study is above all.” We all firmly believed that study was the only way to move upward, and hence I decided to be a Tiger Dad pushing my sons to study, thus placing heavy pressure on them.
In fact, both of my sons attended traditional schools. Initially their academic results were mediocre, and they attended private tutorial lessons after school. But when they had finished such lessons and came home, I would further tutor them. As a result, they took great pains to attend all such lessons. None of us had any rest time as such tutorial lessons often lasted until 11:00 pm or 12:00 pm when we were truly worn out. After a painful period of time, their academic results were still not as desirable, and we all felt drained. In the end, one of my sons went abroad and surprisingly became fond of studying. He believed that his school was so good that he refused my request when I asked him to come back to Hong Kong. He liked studying in the United States and was ultimately admitted to a desirable university. My other son later attended a private school. He was happy as during the first two years in that school, he did not need to sit any exams and was only required to do some more reading.
In fact, I have shared my experience to tell Members that under the circumstances nowadays, good academic results or exam results are no longer the only way to succeed. On the other hand, the pressures of study we often refer to are caused not only by exams, but also by parents and society in many cases. My personal experience has shown that it is pointless for us to create the pressures of study by ourselves. For this reason, I very much agree with the motion of Deputy President Starry LEE today. We need to alleviate the pressures of exams while advocating diversified education.
A duty of parents is to observe, discover and develop talents and interests in their children. If children do things they like, they will naturally achieve good results. Some 5% to 10% of students in Hong Kong study actively without any parental supervision, and they are often top test scorers year after year. They account for only several percentage points of the total, while some 80% to 90% of students have no liking for study. Children are different in terms of talents and interests, and thus we should perform our duty as parents to discover and develop their interests. For example, if a child likes drawing, the best teacher should be identified to give him drawing lessons. If a child likes singing, he should be taught to sing.
In this day and age, many among our generation should have the means to take care of ourselves, and our children, despite being successful, may not take care of us. As such, when we perform our duty as parents, a priority is to make them happy regardless of whether they will succeed in the future. While it is often claimed that one can hardly sustain a living if he engages in painting and drawing, I think that jobs in society will be diversified in the future. Many people will pursue work-life balance, and thus it may not be that there are no prospects for painting and drawing. The most important thing is whether you can succeed in what you do, or whether you are at the top of your profession. You will earn much more money if you are top-notch, but you can still sustain a living even if you are not. Poor academic results of your children are not a matter of concern. The most important thing is that they know where their interests lie. It is instead a matter of concern to us that some children aged 16 or 17 still do not know what they should pursue.
I think determination is very important. If our children make a decision as early as possible, they will study actively and be more likely to succeed in the future. For example, a child who witnesses a sick family member may determine to be a doctor. A child who feels social injustice may determine to be a social worker. When children have made their decision, parents can leave them to their own devices. They can thus do things that make them happy and succeed. In fact, I do not want to talk too much today, but I hope parents will understand that academic excellence is not the only way to succeed, and thus poor academic results of their children are not a problem. The most important thing is to discover their interests and accompany them more.
In addition, if children are still at a young age, parents had better not let them play electronic games or use “electronic teats”. Children can be calmed at meal time if they are allowed to use a mobile phone, but this will do them a lot of harm. Those who are addicted to electronic products will not be interested in reading, and their mental development or future education will be adversely affected. Thus parents should not allow their children to use electronic products as far as possible. When children grow older, they can be taken to a library to read any books. If they are good at both Chinese and English, will they encounter any difficulty in reading? As such, pushing a child to attend private tutorial sessions is by no means beneficial. My speech will be very meaningful if my message is well received today. Thank you, Deputy President.