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Wee Kek Koon

A Hong Kong school trip to Singapore has become an unexpected talking point back home after a video of a principal losing his temper went viral.
The incident saw Lee Cheuk-hing of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Tuen Mun, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, take part in a heated exchange with security personnel outside a venue in the city state over coach parking arrangements.
In full view of students and colleagues, an agitated Lee used several ill-chosen – some would say vulgar – Cantonese expressions and even pulled faces at two non-Chinese security guards.
The footage spread quickly across Hong Kong’s social media, drawing attention less to the dispute itself than to the manner in which it unfolded.


The school suspended Lee pending an internal inquiry, while the city’s education bureau also stepped in. Lee later apologised for his failure to “lead by example” and offered his resignation, which was rejected; the school has instead opted to fire him.
For many observers, the discomfort lies in seeing a school leader, someone expected to embody decorum and sound judgment, behave in a way that suggests poor self-control and a lack of refinement. That it occurred in front of his students makes the episode all the more damning.
The incident has prompted much discussion and reflection on how educators conduct themselves. “How could such a person be a school principal?” has been the constant refrain.


In premodern China, the figure we might loosely call a school principal was less a bureaucratic manager than a moral anchor. The dean, or shanzhang, of a private academy (shuyuan) occupied a role that blended scholar, mentor and community leader.
Academy deans were not appointed through the central government in the manner of state schools and universities. Instead, selection rested largely on reputation.
A respected scholar might be invited by local elites, patrons or former students to preside over an academy. Sometimes the choice emerged through recommendation within the scholarly community; at other times, an institution simply coalesced around a teacher whose learning and character attracted disciples.
While official recognition could confer prestige, a dean’s authority ultimately rested on moral standing rather than a formal title.

A celebrated example is Zhu Xi (1130-1200), who revitalised the White Deer Grotto Academy during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Already renowned for his scholarship and personal integrity, Zhu was invited to assume the deanship.
Once in position, he restored the academy’s buildings, formalised its routines and, most importantly, articulated a set of educational principles that would influence academies across China.
The emphasis on character shaped the dean’s responsibilities. Teaching lay at the core of his duties, but not merely in the sense of delivering lectures. The dean interpreted the Confucian canon, guided students intellectually and, most crucially, modelled the virtues those texts espoused.
Zhu exemplified this ideal: he encouraged discussion and reflection, and insisted that learning must go hand in hand with moral self-cultivation. His academy regulations set expectations not only for study, but for conduct as well. They reinforced the idea that education was as much about forming character as it was about passing examinations.

Administration, though present, was secondary and often informal. Deans oversaw daily operations, such as organising lectures, maintaining order and sometimes managing finances, but such tasks were frequently shared or delegated. Equally important was the dean’s role as a bridge to the wider world by enhancing the academy’s reputation and engaging with local society.
In short, academy deans in premodern China were chosen less for managerial skill than for scholarly distinction and moral authority. They were expected to be educators whose most enduring lesson lay in personal example.
Set against this older ideal, the recent episode involving the Hong Kong headmaster in Singapore serves as a reminder that leadership in education has never been judged by academic qualifications and competence alone. Titles and responsibilities may evolve, but the expectation that those who guide the young should also embody restraint, dignity and judgment remains constant.


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Hong Kong principal’s Singapore disgrace highlights centuries-old educational standards

A still from a viral video shows Hong Kong principal Lee Cheuk-hing exchanging heated words with security guards outside a venue during a school trip to Singapore. Lee tendered his resignation to the San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, after the incident sparked online outrage, but it was rejected; the school has instead opted to fire him.

Lee talks to pupils on a school bus. The Hong Kong principal’s behaviour during his heated confrontation with Singapore security guards has prompted much discussion and reflection on how educators conduct themselves.

Zhu Xi, a Song dynasty philosopher and head of the White Deer Grotto Academy, encouraged discussion and reflection, and insisted that learning must go hand in hand with moral self-cultivation.

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Lifestyle

Chinese culture

School heads in premodern China had to lead by example above all. More recently, principal Lee Cheuk-hing’s failure to do so cost him his job


School heads in premodern China had to lead by example above all. More recently, principal Lee Cheuk-hing’s failure to do so cost him his job.


Chinese history

Singapore

Hong Kong

Education

Social media

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Reflections

Hong Kong principal’s Singapore disgrace highlights centuries-old educational standards

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}School heads in premodern China had to lead by example above all. More recently, principal Lee Cheuk-hing’s failure to do so cost him his job

School heads in premodern China had to lead by example above all. More recently, principal Lee Cheuk-hing’s failure to do so cost him his job