Pen portraits: Childhood

Name: Leung Pak-yin
Secondary school: Wah Yan College, Hong Kong

Benefits of an early setback

A defining moment in the childhood of Dr Leung Pak-yin came when he was held back a year in primary school. “In Primary One, the teacher distributed academic reports according to our rankings in class. There were more than 30 people in the class, but my name was not among the top 30,” he recalls. Lui Kee Government Primary School was later closed and Dr Leung was transferred to S.K.H. St. James’ Primary School where he did not know he had to repeat Primary One until the first school day. It turned out, however, to be a blessing in disguise, because he could consolidate what he learned in the previous year. By the time he took his mid‑term test, he ranked third in his class. This rebuilt his confidence and inspired him to work harder and continue to perform with flying colours in primary school.

When he moved up to high school, Dr Leung found himself facing a new challenge: learning all subjects in English. His anxieties were eased when his class teacher Ms Lam bought him a collection of second‑hand English storybooks. Both his English and his academic performance flourished after reading for a term. The transition to secondary school was a difficult one and he found himself with no friends at the start of the school year. “While my classmates put down their bags outside the classroom and played in the playground, I stood outside the classroom and kept an eye on their bags. The teacher saw this and decided I was well-behaved and assigned me as the class monitor.” It was a position he held for the next few years, and he even earned the nickname ‘Monitor’.

Dr Leung grew up in a grassroots family and he saw himself a ‘street child’. At school, he met good teachers and friends and was inspired by religion. He was determined to further his education, learn solid life values, and be a good man.

Name: Tony Ko
Secondary school: Wah Yan College, Kowloon

Live a simple life

Dr Tony Ko went to a Catholic school. He was deeply influenced by the words and deeds of a priest at school, who insisted on going to work on foot and by public transport. “Father taught us life should be simple, frugal and also to love the environment,” he recalls. “To help students live a healthy lifestyle, he would even stand on the slope outside the school, stop students in private cars, and ask them to walk to school every day.”

As a student, Dr Ko says he lacked artistic talent and remembers his paintings being criticised as ‘children’s paintings’ by his teacher and had to redraw.

As he grew older, he yearned for freedom and excitement, and his zest for adventure sometimes landed him in hot water. In Secondary Four, he went camping with two classmates at the school field trip site one day in advance, aiming to take a photo at dawn with a cup of coffee outside the camp. The tent collapsed and the lamp caught fire and, even worse, the boys were chased by wild dogs. That group photo is now a precious memento of a youthful adventure that ended up in comical failure.