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A woman walks past a Mount Kelly poster outside its Tsim Sha Tsui school on June 15 last year. The former operator of Mount Kelly accumulated millions in debt. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
OpinionLetters

Letters | Mount Kelly’s troubles suggest a failure of supervision by Hong Kong’s education regulator

  • Readers discuss the government’s role in monitoring the operation of schools, what Hong Kong’s New Year resolutions should be, how our new legislators should prove their worth, and the ban on dining in after 6pm
Education
Letters
Letters
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The Education Bureau has increased its grip on Hong Kong’s education sector in line with the national security law. In 2020, it stripped a teacher of his teaching registration for purportedly spreading an “independence” message and last year issued guidelines on bringing the national security law into the classroom.
However, under its oversight, hundreds of students, teachers and parents became victims of the troubled Mount Kelly School. The school owes money to many parents and teachers after it charged various fees and failed to pay salaries, suspended classes in June 2021 and lost most of its teaching staff.

Now reportedly under new management, the institution continues its operations in Hong Kong, and more children, more parents and more teachers are at risk of becoming new victims. All this is happening with the Education Bureau’s knowledge.

It has always been well known that setting up an educational institute in Hong Kong can be a lucrative business. One would expect this area to be strictly controlled by the Hong Kong government to protect children and their parents.

In fact, opening a private school is relatively simple, primarily hingeing on obtaining a Certificate of Registration of a School from the Education Bureau after getting clearance from departments like fire safety, health and planning. The bureau checks on school premises, teaching staff and the school manager, but no background checks are conducted on the owners, the masterminds behind the school managers.

This oversight from the Hong Kong government allowed the operator of Mount Kelly to accumulate millions in debt. The school was restructured and new management brought in without refunding parents.

Many parents have been requesting the government, particularly the Education Bureau, to help resolve the issue and shut down the school as the authorities should also share responsibility for failure of a licensed school. At the end of the day, parents rely on regulators when they entrust their kids to teachers.

When we go shopping, we don’t question if the food is safe. We believe a licensed retailer meets certain standards monitored by the authorities. The same should apply to schools if the government grants them licences. The government should do a better job of monitoring education, as it does with financial markets, transport and other sectors.

In the case of Mount Kelly, the government failed in its supervisory duties. Sadly, this concerns our children, who will be building Hong Kong’s future.

Maria Ignatova, Mid-Levels

10 New Year’s resolutions for Hong Kong

Hong Kong is now two weeks into 2022, but it’s not too late to make some New Year’s resolutions. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an upbeat New Year’s speech to the country. He also said people should not rest on their achievements but must continually make progress.
Soon after, Hong Kong witnessed the swearing-in of the 90 newly elected legislators. Five days into the new year, the whole city was put back on high coronavirus alert as a result of the behaviour of some irresponsible souls. So what can we learn from previous mistakes and how can we do better? Here are my New Year’s resolutions for Hongkongers:

  1. Be cooperative: Hongkongers must cooperate with the government when restrictions are called for.

  2. Be fair: No one is more important than others and hence, no one should be exempted with ease from policies, especially our aviation industry. Everyone’s time is just as precious.

  3. Get vaccinated: Each one of us should take good care of our health and stay Covid-alert.

  4. Get educated: Society is paying a high price for the behaviour of some individuals. Instead of penalising them, perhaps it would be better to educate them and Hongkongers at large on proper civic responsibilities and values.

  5. Be humble: Legislators were elected by the people and, hence, their duties and goals are very simple ­– serve the people.

  6. Be efficient: The government should start streamlining its rules and regulations.

  7. Be positive: Remember that you are what you think, so stay positive.

  8. Be healthy: It is easier for the virus to attack those with unhealthy lifestyles. Change those habits. Enjoy Hong Kong’s beautiful landscapes.

  9. Be open-minded: Accept change and move on. You may be surprised to learn how little you actually know.

  10. Be thankful: We should be content that we enjoy massive support from our motherland. We should take the opportunity to make things happen. These do not come easily and will not last forever.

I wish my fellow Hongkongers a fresh start in the new year. Be happy and stay healthy!

Lusan Hung, Wan Chai

Legco must show ‘one country, two systems’ lives on

After Hong Kong’s electoral system was overhauled last year, a new Hong Kong Election Committee and the seventh Legislative Council have been formed. It looks like Beijing and the pro-establishment camp will be working together to unveil a system with Hong Kong characteristics to develop good policies and governance.

With our elected members being patriots, the new Legislative Council must also reflect different views. Lawmakers must monitor the work of the government. They serve not just those who voted for them or their functional constituency, but all Hongkongers.

There are those who believe the national security law and electoral reform spells the end of the “one country, two systems”. I hope that is not the case. To restore confidence, lawmakers should not just be rubber stamps.

Randy Lee, Ma On Shan

6pm rule a blow to restaurants, diners and environment

It was with dismay and not a little anger that I read the extent of the current measures to fight the coronavirus. Not surprisingly, no new ideas were included. What was surprising were the restrictions on restaurants.
The last time restrictions were placed on restaurant hours, we saw examples of the disappointment and disturbance caused to the ordinary working Hongkongers affected by a closure of restaurants at 6pm. For them, being able to have a meal before going onto their next destination – home, learning institute or another job – was (and still is) imperative. Of course, the restaurants themselves too would (again) suffer from a 6pm closure.

Yet another important point has been lost in the rush to “protect” the community – the further, and unnecessary, pollution to the environment.

We have been talking about using less plastic and disposable boxes and utensils. With the 6pm rule, we are back to the proverbial square one. How much more waste will be generated is anybody’s guess but this need not happen had consideration been given to protecting our environment.

Extending the closing hours to 8pm will solve many problems. Alas, the environment is always the loser.

James A. Elms, Mid-Levels

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