Nang Chong Stories : Young Teacher of Tiing Nang School

The Tiing Nang Primary School was started by my maternal grandfather, Lau Kah Chui in 1930's. There were six class rooms and a Church, Hook Ming Church next door.

My mother at age 22 after she left teaching., just before her marriage.

During the opening ceremony, my maternal grandfather, who was made Chairman of the Board of Directors, as he had donated the 2 acres of land for the church and the school, was invited to make a speech.

Grandpa was not educated in Mandarin, so he spoke in Foochow. He was also a man of few words.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for inviting me to speak today . You have heard my brother Kah Tii (Mo Mo) and his fine speeches in the past. Today I have this opportunity to speak and may be only this once you can hear me. You have been given sharks' fins by my brother. Today I would say something. So it will be just like a small plate of Kang Kong. My speech is very simple, nothing grand. I thank you for coming. I thank every one for building the school and the church together with me. I thank God for today. This is a grand day for Nang Chong to have a primary school and church and I am very happy. Thank you.

As my mother  graduated  with Jr. 3 and  her education was interrupted by the Japanese Occupation, she started teaching Music, Singing and Arithmetic immediately after the Japanese left in 1945. She taught for two years after which she gave her position to her sister-in-law who came from China.

Her salary then was only 30 dollars.

She said that it was not that easy, as there were no books after the war and every one was poor. So she devised her own lesson plans to fill the time . She herself was around 18 years old then. But since the children were keen to learn, she and the children learned together with minimal aids and texts. Exercise books were also very limited.