Teacher who fell to her death at Hong Kong school mourned as siblings take aim at Education Bureau for avoiding its responsibilities
- Pair slam government after service for sister Lam Lai-tong, 48
- Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung among mourners at funeral parlour
Two younger siblings of a teacher who fell to her death in March at the school where she taught have expressed disappointment at the way the Education Bureau has handled the incident.
The pair slammed the government for shying away from its responsibilities as their 48-year-old sister Lam Lai-tong, a Chinese and library studies teacher at TWGHs Leo Tung-hai Lee Primary School in Tin Shui Wai, was laid to rest on Saturday evening.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Ken Tsoi Wing-sing, chairman of the primary school’s operator, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and his predecessor Vinci Wong Yin-chi were among the mourners at the International Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom.
After paying their respects, the officials left without answering media inquiries.
Speaking after the funeral service, Lam’s brother and sister said they were thankful for all the sympathy and love the family had received and were still trying to recover from the heartbreaking incident. However, they felt as though they had been left in the dark over an investigation into their sister’s death.
“We appreciate Tung Wah’s efforts in looking into the case but we are still unaware of when the investigation panel will announce its results,” said Lam’s sister, who requested anonymity. She added that the family did not know the direction the probe would take or how it would be conducted.
Family of teacher who fell to her death call for investigation to be concluded sooner
Tung Wah – which runs 16 kindergartens, 13 primary and 18 secondary schools – in March set up a five-member panel to investigate Lam’s death, as well as look into ways to review and improve school management.
Lam’s brother said he was disappointed with the bureau’s handling of the situation and how it was using school-based management, a framework launched in 2000 to provide more autonomy, to avoid its responsibilities.
“I wish the government would stop using school-based management as an excuse and realise that it’s really time to look into reviewing the system to avoid abusive school management,” he said.
“They need to stop hiding behind the school’s operating body and shying away from their responsibilities.”
The pair urged the school’s head teacher, Law Yuen-yee, to explain their sister’s death. Family members had said earlier that Lam, who had worked at the school for more than 20 years, had been under pressure and had been made to work while unwell shortly before her death.
Principal placed on leave ahead of investigation into incident
“We failed to get in touch with Law but we want to hear what she has to say,” Lam’s sister said.
Meanwhile, a survey has found that more half of school librarians believe their colleagues are unaware of how demanding their job is.
The Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians’ Association study, carried out between March and early April, found that 55 per cent of the 263 respondents felt that other educators did not understand how vulnerable and overworked they were. About 64 per cent of respondents said they did not have enough time to manage the library while also having to help with teaching.
Association president June Wong Ngai-kuen said it was worrying how people dismissed the amount of work needed to run a library and piled other tasks on librarians such as taking substitute classes or covering shifts for others.
