老餅范

我任教的學校在香港高考所向披靡，差不多百分百進入大學門檻兒。我多次在不同的時間，問及同學如何揀選大學課程，答案總離不開商科和法律，我差點兒以為本地大學衹有商學院和法律學院。有位同學甚至半帶嘲笑的說：唔通揀哲學咩，跟住畢業出來就拿砵子討飯！他的回應引來全班哄堂大笑。

曾幾何時，教育是我們對這個世界認識的開始。它讓我們不單衹明白一些有趣現象，更啟動我們的好奇心引擎；它也讓我們更有效地與人溝通；更讓我們了解自己，發揮自我潛能。但不知那些時候，成人世界的父母、長輩、甚至老師，都告訴我們，學習的最終目標是拿取一紙文憑，跟着找一份高薪工作、享受豐饒豐足的生活。 不知何時，教育變成資本家、企業家的職業培訓的手段，因應市場需要，推出忠心、聰慧和拼博的員工。

次子心培性格鬼馬，創意無限，常有一些出人意表的舉動。

前晚，和他說完故事後，正準備入睡找周公的時候，他突然告訴我和他媽媽一件事：－

『亞梁sir(史丹福泳會教練)以前响第三組教我游水時，叫咗我范金培。』

『咦，係咩？點解嘅？』

『哎，可能我讀得唔清楚啦。亞梁sir問我個名，我咪話叫范dum培。可能我講得唔清楚啦，佢就叫咗我范金培。後來佢先至叫番我做范dum培。』

我和老妻強忍着笑，一來我們驚覺他可以完整描述多月前一件事件，二來他又明白自己的一些不準確的發音。

他就是這樣，無端端說一件塵年舊小事。他真可愛！

聯合國開發組織發表報告，在反映貧富懸殊差距的堅尼指數中，香港成為全球先進經濟體中，貧富差距最大地區。有學者指，財富不均極易造成社會分化，政府須採取措施平衡貧富懸殊問題。

據美國 《商業周刊》引述聯合國開發組織最新公布的《中美洲人類發展報告》，當中指香港是全球最先進經濟發展地區中，貧富懸殊情況最嚴重，堅尼指數達到四十三點四（下用堅尼系數，相等於零點四三四），而經濟體系與香港相近的新加坡    ，則排行第二，系數為零四二五，第三位是美國。堅尼系數數值介乎零與一之間，數值愈高即表示社會收入分布愈不平均；一般而言，系數超過零點四已經是到達「警戒線」。但報告指北歐各國、日本和捷克，則是最均富的先進經濟體國家。

社聯促政府帶頭滅貧

周刊又引述報告指，香港貧富懸殊情況最大，可能是因本港有較多百萬美元    收入的富豪造成，據《福布斯》今年三月的公布，本港有十九名億萬富豪，而新加坡只有兩名。另外，報告指本港除外傭，並無為工人訂下最低工資保障，成為加劇貧富懸殊的成因之一。本港的堅尼系數多年來都超過零點四的「警戒線」，更長期領先其他先進經濟體。資料顯示，○六年本港堅尼系數一度高達零點五三三。

社聯早前以全港入息中位數一半來作貧窮線，推算本港貧窮人口達到一百二十三萬人。社聯認為綜援為政府扶貧的措施，但政府卻以綜援金額作為貧窮標準，推算本港貧窮人口只有九十六萬人，兩者雖相差百分之二十二，社聯認為政府帶頭深入研究如何滅貧。

社區組織協會主任何喜華亦指，本港貧窮人口十數年間升逾五十萬人，反映政府「財富下滲理論」已告失敗，富庶人士的收入不會惠及貧窮基層。樂施會 倡議幹事黃碩紅認為，本港應研究創造更多低學歷、低技術的職位助低層就業，以及增加社會保障，如退休及失業援助。

港大社會工作及社會行政學系講座教授周永新指，財富分布不均，極易造成社會分化，本港貧窮人口多為失業及欠缺工作能力的長者，政府應盡快訂立最低工資及全民退休保障，以平衡社會貧富狀況。

每月領取五千多元單親綜援的陳女士指，因一對兒女尚幼而無法外出工作，每月兩童額外的學習費用，已令他們每人每餐不過十元，更遑論讓兒女參加課外活動。她更指因家貧，遭到鄰居及其他家長白眼，終日留家避開他人歧視目光，形容自己幾近成隱蔽人士。她現只希望政府關注「跨代貧窮」問題，增加兒童的學習津貼，如上網費、實報實銷的書簿津貼等，讓下一代拾回自尊，早日脫貧。

星島日報 Oct. 23, 2009

Each class of our school has to hold at least two meetings with all subject teachers in a school year, discussing the students' behaviour, discipline, learning and all other class matters.  And the subject teachers should write something for any students prior to the meeting.

The English teacher of my class, who is well experienced and kind, told me last Friday that, she has nothing to say about my class, just simply because they perform so well.  She even said, she hasn't taught such a "good" class for the past few years.  They take initiative, are eager to learn, pay attention to the class, and seldom miss homework or be late for it.

I can't agree any more about it.  Yes, I had received two assignments of my subject, and yes, nobody handed in late, and they also don't eat and sleep in the class.  But in fact, I believe some of them would have been doing so in their secondary school, but when they got to a new place, everything goes to new, and more importantly, the mood, the general mood of the class, make the whole class stick together to follow a norm, which is lucky to say, a positive norm.

But it's not all, I believe.  They do well, or strive to do well, also because they're regarded being good boys and girls.  They're expected to do well, and so, they try their best not to let the teachers down.

I'm not humble enough, but still have to say, the act and move of the class tutor is also very crucial.  Probably I'm too early to say so, but in fact, I'm quite positive towards them, treating them mature and good students.  I'm democratic to them, but show real confidence on them also.

But the most important thing is, in my opinion, I think every student, every mankind, tries his/her best to do well.  Even a murderer, when s/he's a child, s/he's a lovely child.  A rapist didn't want to rape anyone at his first stance.  It applies to our students.   If teachers treat and regard them good students, I see no points that they won't do well; at least, they will try.

I always heard the chats from colleagues in the staff room about the students.  Some teachers always look down the students, or think the bad side of them.  Sometimes, if I haven't heard of the first few words, I would have thought they're talking about a serial killer, or a bad guy coming from prison.  They always regard students as bad, ugly in heart, common liar, and worst of all, the students would do something bad towards the teachers intentionally, without reasons.

Doesn't it make sense?  Of course not, but they do, I mean the teachers.  They think some students are born bad guys.

Every one has her/his own story, a story of his/her family, growth-up path, his/her peers, and anything that can help or hinder his/her personal growth.  As a teacher, or even an adult, what we can do, is to develop students' potential, let them see things from different angles, and even give them a role model of a responsible and mature person.  However, if a teacher has a pessimistic or even trumatic history of his/her own, and can't treat students well, s/he should consider leaving the field, and do something else but not education.

Well, that's why I have a thought of teaching student teachers.  Of course, it's quite impossible, at the moment, and in few years' time.  Well...anyway, I try my best of being inspiring, positive, approachable teacher.

上星期三，在學校的走廊遇到小情侶家朗和Katherine，他們不約而同地恭賀我牛一，並欲和我午膳。正當我想開口說好的時候，他們倆欲說：「Clive，你咁受學生歡迎，唔駛間今個星期都full哂架啦！不如就下個星期先啦！」。事實上，那天我無約，甚至午餐盒也沒有準備。但我已沒好意思再說了。

那種不能清楚澄清、啞巴吃黃蓮的感覺令我感到有點難堪。我跟着在想，我有點兒明白女孩子，尤其美人兒們，在情人佳節、或週末期間，、被人問及出外逛街、或佳人有約的時候，被人誤會但無法澄清的時候的那種心情了。

Yesterday was my birthday.  Nothing special, as usual.  I always think a birthday shouldn't be celebrated without involving the parents. 

N years ago, I was born in Tsuen Wan, ranked the third, the youngest among the siblings.  But I was lucky that I came from a warm and caring family.  We're not rich, and with sufferings (from the sense of my mother's illness), but I still enjoyed the old days when we lived in Kwun Tong.

Probably I'm getting older, I always think of my previous days, especially playing with my elder sister at home, role-play being parents, and with more than ten kids.  My elder brother?  Sorry that I don't have clear memory with him, unless when we played badminton together in adolescence.

Now I'm a father of three, similar to my childhood.  One different thing for sure is that, they have better living, at least in terms of monetary situation.

Two days ago, we had an appointment with the specialist GP and speech therapist of the Department of Health with Xin Pei.  We thought he has a problem of social skills and speech, but also he possesses intelligent mind.  Well, after nearly 4 hours of "investigation" from the two specialists, Xin Pei was diagnosed a syndrome of high functioning Dylexia.  Thank God that the situation is not severe, only that he gets a bit problem in interacting with other children, and find it hard to do role-play game.  We're still going to do an IQ assessment with him simply because we can treat him in another way, if he's confirmed to be high IQ boy.

Going back about me, I have been receiving compliments from students about my birthday.  I really enjoy it.  I enjoy it not because I received so many compliments but the relationships and bondings among us.  I really enjoy teaching the youngsters, not extremely much, but very much.  Probably because I don't think I'm "higher" than they are and so, I can get along with them in a fair and closer situation.  More than that, I was loved in my childhood and path of growth.  I know how and what to share love, from heart.

It's quite coincident for me getting a career in education.  Well, I really fell in love with it, and always fine tune my way of getting along with those kids.  Adulthood is ugly, full of lies, betrade and defence.  But when you interact with the youths, well, they seldom "calculate" the pros and cons of being together, just starting from teacher-and-student relationships, and then move forward, and further.  Luckily that I started my teaching career in a band 5 school, and the students always lacked being loved and cared, and I can offer them without very much difficulty.  Of course, what I have done simply came from my heart voluntarily.  I think it's important.  Oh, one more thing, don't count the return.

Of course (again), it doesn't mean that there's no love and care if teachers can't build good relationship with them, but I do believe, deeply, that everything starts from relatedness, bonding, relationships, and all those things come from one thing, LOVE.  It is the ultimate point of origin from our creator. 

One day, when I die and have a funeral (or some kind of ceremony), I hope the hall is full of my students, from young to adult, from gentlemen to ladies.  They laughed and chatted about the precious moments when I was teaching them, teasing them, playing with them, enjoying food with them, and even cried with them.

Thank you Lord, for giving me such a wonderful and colourful life, with my beloved, and the three lovely lovely kids.

Look at the photo above.  He's our third son, Xin Ming.  He's 13 months old when taking this photo.  He's a happy boy, though not quite in the photo.  It's not difficult to understand this for he has two lovely siblings, the 7-year-old Sammi and 5-year-old Gordon.  They always play with him, causing him cry, laugh, and walk fast.  You can imagine the "training" given from the two kids.

Since Yee Fun has changed her job to part-time basis, yes, I have to admit it that she helps a lot on home affairs and taking care of the kids.  She seems not quite good at doing such things.  She really enjoys working, probably she's that type, and it drives her crazy if she stays at home all day, buying detergents or milk powder, checking the kids' homework...etc.  Well, it's not the same to me.  I really enjoy playing with the kids, and doing something in details about housework.  It's probably called "mix and match".  Well, my wife doesn't care the details but I'm the opposite. 

We've been together for such a long time, since 1991, March 28, if I didn't make our first day wrong.  We confirmed each other during midnight, in Repulse Bay, seawater at the front and darkness around us.  And most important of all, we have 3 lovely but energetic kids!!  That means, in the rest of our lives, if nothing goes wrong, we will have those 3 kids around us, in our lives.

I can imagine, 20 years later, if we're still alive, it will be so crowded and noisy to have them coming back home, eating and having lunch or dinner.  But at least, within these few years, we should attend parents' meetings at least three times a year, or even more.

Anyway, everything in my life, no matter what, comes from my Holy Father.  He create the world, including me.  I really enjoy the things he has given me.  Thank you my Lord!!