Chung Wai Ming Recalls His Primary School Days

Clip1-First Day of School

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I entered primary one in 1936, as I recall. I remember the first day of school. It was very grand and solemn. At six in the morning, my mother took a servant and me along with presents–some food such as candies – to see Mr Mo Dunmei, the headmaster of Dun Mei School, at his home. The first thing I did was to bow before the portrait of Confucius, and then Mr Mok performed the kaibi (the first use of the brush) ceremony on my behalf. I was wearing a “Mandarin robe” and “Mandarin cap”-- it was all very grand. After that, a teacher took me to the classroom opposite to wait for school to begin. The classroom was filled with students and I offered them the food I had bought. I wasn’t the only one offering food; on the first day of school, all the children brought food to share with each other.

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