Bright Satanic Mills ?

Bright Satanic Mills ?

Sean Coghlan

Before my mother married she was a primary school teacher in a Lancashire mill town in the 1910’s. I remember her telling me of how she would be woken in the morning by the clatter of “clogs” or wooden shoes as the women walked to work in the spinning mills. This filled me with a little boy’s wonder. For years I could hear those clogs on the cobbled streets of Rochdale. When I asked my mother why the women wore wooden shoes she told me that the mill floors were always so wet that leather shoes would be very uncomfortable and that they wouldn’t last very long.

It seems that even as late as 1910 those mills had a touch of the dark Satanic quality of the mills that William Blake referred to in his poem, “And Did Those Feet?” Blake dreamed of building Jerusalem “in England’s green and pleasant land”. He was shocked by the greed and inhumanity which accompanied the Industrial Revolution. For him the mills were symbols of a mechanistic and utilitarian world view according to which, as he said elsewhere “the same dull round, even of the universe, becomes a mill with complicated wheels” (Norton Anthology of English Literature. Note 2 pg 1251 : W.M. Norton and Co. Inc. New York 1960)

Hong Kong has now almost entirely ceased to be a manufacturing center. Few indeed are our factories and production lines. Replacing them as places of employment are almost uncountable numbers of office blocks, banks and financial centers; bright palaces of steel and glass. But are they still somewhat Satanic? Are they “mechanistic and utilitarian”, imposing on their inhabitants a dull round similar to the one that horrified Blake? Are they inhuman places imposing an intolerable strain on many?

I hear many complaints from office workers and young professionals about the stress and long hours that are making life unbearable for them. A place of employment does not have to be dark and dark to be inhuman and Satanic.

Since this is an educational quarterly it is relevant and legitimate to ask if our educational institutes are not slightly Satanic in themselves and Satanic in having to prepare modern day slaves for a new slavery.

If they are, it is not altogether their fault. Hong Kong’s educators are under intense pressure from the business world to produce fluent English speakers so that Hong Kong will stay ahead of the field and maintain its competitive business advantages. All else is of secondary importance; all must be sacrificed on the altar of business, students and teachers included.

I believe it would be a much sounder and a much more humane educational policy to teach English as a second language in all schools in Hong Kong. The use of English as the medium of instruction is ineffective and discriminatory.

Some students do learn English well in English medium schools. Many do not. The introduction of compulsory education up to Form 3 means that many less gifted students in fact stay in school until at least the end of Form 5. Even students who learn English well and speak it fluently will certainly need to use Cantonese when they are sad, frustrated, depressed and in need of counselling. When faced with the personal and philosophical problems of life can we be sure that they can find adequate, intellectually satisfying answers in English? Thanks to T.V. the popular culture of Hong Kong has become even more Cantonese. Twenty years and more ago I helped adjudicate many talent competitions. I heard more groups singing “Puff the Magic Dragon”, “Morning Town Ride” and “Scarborough Fair” than I can count. The songs were well sung in “good” English. Unless I am greatly mistaken all these songs are gone, swept away by a flood of local songs. There is a dangerous gap between daily, popular culture and the culture of schools where English is taught as if Hong Kong were Southampton or Nottingham or Liverpool.

Using English as a medium of instruction in some schools is discriminatory because students who are “banished” to Chinese medium schools are being clearly told they are second class people, second class citizens, second class students. At least one would get that impression from the horror with which parents are reported to feel when their children are sent to Chinese language schools.

I am well aware that far too many changes have been introduced into our schools with far too little consultation. One change I would favour, though, is the change that would make all schools “English Second Language” schools. Then our schools would be more effective, happier places where students would be better prepared for life in the business city that is Hong Kong and for life as people who love and cherish their own culture.

I await with fear the introduction of Potunghua to our schools. Will it be taught as a spoken language? A second language? A third language? Will it be the medium of instruction? What is the real reason for its introduction? Is it for business reasons? What effect will its introduction have on our students? Will they be happier people?

A second reason why our schools may be in danger of becoming “dark Satanic” educational mills is the increasingly mechanistic and utilitarian emphasis on quantifiable, verifiable, markable goals. Teachers are being forced to spend hours and hours of formal and informal teaching time on the collation of data, and on useless assessments. Computers are potentially marvellous educational tools. I am deeply impressed by wonderful graphics produced by even very young students. At the press of a computer key a whole world of knowledge and beauty is open to properly prepared students. I do not, however, believe, that computers necessarily lessen work loads. If not treated with great caution computers can increase work loads to no purpose. More often than not teachers have to bear the extra loading. If teachers are happy and relaxed, students will be happy and relaxed. But are they?

Of course relaxed and happy teachers in the formal setting of the classroom will introduce to their students avenues to the joy of life long interests. A joy which may sustain them if they do have to enter offices, banks and financial centres which may not allow a human way of life. I hope too that teachers will have the time and the energy to introduce to their students the unseen, unheard and unnoticed glories around them outside the class room. Would that they could bring their students to Forbes Street in Smithfield. There they will see a 200 to 300 feet long retaining wall covered with an intricate tracery of banyan tree roots reaching 30 or more feet down to ground level. Open, alert searching eyes may see as many as twenty snow white Little Egrets standing watchfully on the rocks and supports around the Star Ferry pier in Hong Kong. A visit to a book shop whose name I cannot mention will reveal enthralled children, sitting on tiny stools or on the floor itself, gazing raptly at the beautiful illustrations of Tong Dynasty poetry books and drinking in the adventures of Monkey and his companions in “A Journey to the West” or the family chronicles of the “Dream of the Red Chamber”. Such delights will sustain generations to come if indeed our schools, our universities and our glittering work-places remain somewhat Satanic, even in the midst of technical and financial progress and success..

HKIIEL Chairman Recalled Pre-registration Days

The AGM of the HKIIEL was held on 12 January 2006 in Wah Yan College Kowloon attended by over 50 members and guests. In his report the Chairman, Fr Deignan recalled the early days of the formation of the HKIIEL with support from quite a number of enthusiastic and committed persons when the Steering Committee usually met in the office of the ICAC or of the Ombudsman after office hours. He wished the Association for International Business Ethics registered in Hong Kong in January 2005 with the help of the HKIIEL every success in its endeavours to promote business ethics in the Chinese contexts. He thanked the Fund Raising Task Force led by Mr Peter Tam for not only raising a sum of HKD636,857 but also for creating greater awareness on the need for basic human values in the community. He also thanked the Swiss Lenten Campaign pledging to support HKIIEL financially with HKD450,000 spread over 3 years for helping AIBE to promote business ethics. Fr. Deignan mentioned that HKIIEL was injecting almost 1/3 new membership to its Council, Management Board, Academic Board and teams of advisers.

The guest speaker was Mrs Anson Chan who spoke about the qualities of a good leader and how she acquired leadership skill from a difficult case when she was Director of Social Welfare in Hong Kong. She said that life was always fair to a person. Quoting the wife of President Roosevelt of America, she said, “No one can make you inferior without your consent.”

Fr Deignan, Dr Vincent Tse and Dr K C Pang were re-elected members of the Council by the AGM for a term of 3 years. Mr Sung Nee was elected Treasurer and Messrs Peter Tam and Felix Tseng were elected Council members.

The Council meeting held immediately after the AGM approved Messrs Daniel So, Wallace Yiu and Dominic Lee to become members of the Management Board. The Council also nominated and approved Mrs Catherline Li, Mrs Julie Ma, Mr Nicholas Tsui and Mr Charles Chau as new members of the Academic Board.

A Fund Raising Committee was confirmed by the Council comprising of 8 members, i.e. Mr Charles Chau, Mr Dominic Lee, Mrs Catherine Li, Mrs Julie Ma, Mr Sung Nee, Mr Daniel So, Mr Peter Tam, Mr Felix Tseng, Mr Nicholas Tsui and Mr Wallace Yiu. The Fund Raising Committee was empowered by the Council to recruit and second other persons to serve.

Mr Andrew Mak was appointed Legal Adviser. Advisers appointed by the Council were Professor Edward Chen, Professor Cheng Kai Ming, Mr Clement Lam, Mr Victor Lo and Dr Stephan Rothlin.

Coming Courses and Programme

Parents Course

The PTAs of the Marymount Primary and Secondary Schools will organize the HKIIEL Parents Course from 8 April to 27 May 2006 on Saturday afternoons in the School Hall of the Marymount Primary School. Topics will include Formation of Values and EQ and Health.

The Pope Paul VI College will offer to parents of her students the HKIIEL Parents Course in the evening of 28 April 2006 from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm in the school at 8 Lei Pui Street, Kwai Chung. The topic is about love, sex, and marriage. The two speakers invited by HKIIEL are Dr Angela Ng and Mrs Louise Chan.

Certificate Programme

The VEC 003 of the HKIIEL’s Certificate Programme on Values Education focusing on Life Skill will be held at Wah Yan College Kowloon on five consecutive days from 24 to 28 July 2006. The Coordinator is Brother John Wu.

Open Lecture

An open lecture will be given by Father James Keenan, SJ of USA in the evening of 25 August 2006, Friday. Topic, time and venue will be announced later. Father Keenan is an expert in Virtue Ethics, Conscience, Casuistry and HIV/AIDS. He has recently given lectures in Ireland, Amsterdam, and the Philippines.

V-Shows

The Academic Board has decided to offer two V-Shows each year based on the successful one held last November in the Marymount Secondary School Hall as a means to create awareness on basic human values. Details are being actively prepared.

HKIIEL Wishes to Recruit a Chief Administrator

Duties and Responsibilities

The Chief Administrator to be recruited and appointed by the Council shall exercise the policy and directions of the Council and carry out such duties as shall be delegated to him from time to time by the Council through the Executive Committee of the Management Board.

The Chief Administrator shall be overall in charge of the office of the Institute and shall define and allocate the duties to the staff member(s) of the office of the Institute.

The Chief Administrator shall be the Editor of the Institute’s quarterly newsletter and shall assist in the publications of other educational and promotional materials of the Institute.

The Chief Administrator shall liaise with members, committees, tutors, coordinators, the values education assistants (VEAs) and class representatives of the HKIIEL.

The Chief Administrator shall assist the Treasurer of the Institute in attending to financial matters, receipts and payments of the Institute.

The Administrator shall assist the Secretary of the Institute in attending to the correspondences and the secretarial work of the Institute and record the minutes of all meetings.

The Chief Administrator shall be the contact person of the clienteles of the HKIIEL, i.e. educational institutions, government, NGOs and the community at large in the promotion and development of basic human values.

Terms of Appointment

The appointment shall be initially for a contract term of 2 years.

The monthly salary shall be HKD20,000 and shall be adjusted annually.

Qualifications

The person should be committed and dedicated to sharing the basic human values promoted by the HKIIEL. Preferably a university degree holder with academic experience.

Fluent in Chinese and English, written and spoken

Applications

Applications shall be made in writing, before 13 April 2006, to

Chairman of the Recruitment Board

HKIIEL

18A, 53-55 Waterloo Road

Kowloon

Information about HKIIEL

HKIIEL is a charitable institution. Details can be obtained from

Appreciation

HKIIEL wishes to thank the following donors:

DonorsAmount donated

HKD

• Mrs Karen Leung 2,000.00

• Ms Theresa KT Chan 5,000.00

• Swiss Lenten Campaign 148,771.20

• Anonymous 10,000.00

Total 165,771.20

Words to Live By

 The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. (Mahatma Gandhi)

 Comforting the aged, being trustworthy to friends, and caring for the young. (Confucius )

Leader Tips

 Don’t cut your flower and water your weeds.

 A leader, personally and individually, can play a vital role in the war between good and evil.

 Besides knowing the way, showing the way and going the way, a leader must have the vision, knowledge and the core beliefs. Honesty, integrity, commitment, perseverance and a sense of duties are the qualities of a good leader. A good leader should support his/her subordinates, have a strong sense of duties and must always maintain a sense of balance. (From the speech given by Mrs Anson Chan to the HKIIEL AGM 2006.)

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