ANTHONY TONG KAI-HONG failed his O-levels and was kicked out of school. But he was given a second chance after moving to a new school where, he said, the teachers really cared for their students.
Among those who made the difference for him at St Mark's School in Shau Kei Wan was English teacher, the Reverend Basil Moraes, who versed his prodigies in good table manners and, to improve their English, urged them to read newspapers and listen to the BBC.
Years later he was giving similar advice in the then Education Department's campaigns to promote English. For far from failing, Mr Tong had by then risen to close to the top of the education hierarchy, as deputy director of education.
'My experience made me realise there are two types of teacher; those who teach books and those who really care,' he said.
The Rev Moraes and other teachers 'turned him around' to ensure he passed his O and A-levels with flying colours, preparing him for entry to the University of Hong Kong, where he read maths, and then a career as a teacher.
Since then, he has followed an unusual path as a teacher-turned-bureaucrat. Moreover, the man who enjoys sailing in Victoria Harbour and could have opted for retirement after his spell as deputy director ended in 2002 instead chose to return to the classroom.
