這個校長是新傳

偌大禮堂內，十多名學生輪流進行一小段戲劇演出，同學紛紛舉手表達意見，氣氛熱烈。這並非興趣班，而是香港培正中學的藝術課程，學生需選擇專修主項，而教戲劇的正是校長何力高。

何力高以戲劇創作聞名，他監製的聯校音樂劇《奮青樂與路》在香港舞台劇獎獲得六獎。一提到戲劇如何培育學生品格，他就侃侃而談。「新傳人想法比較古靈精怪，我一直做音樂劇並非學校要求，而是自發想做，然後愈做愈好玩、規模愈來愈大。有些新傳人在學校，會令校內氛圍活潑些的。」

擔任中學校長的新傳人，還有九龍城瑪利諾修院學校（中學部）校長陳倩君。鏡頭一轉，由活潑轉為溫柔，她對青年的關愛由心而發，在學校等候拍攝照片期間，自然與新傳本科生攀談；又在閒談間提到，近年學生心理健康備受關注，早前到美國拜訪辦學團體，也討論相關議題。

陳倩君其實當過記者，談起人生轉向，她很珍惜當記者的時光，讓人眼界大開，只是與受訪者的關係，比起與學生的短促，「教育是一段很長久的關係，你今天認識了學生後，可以陪他走幾年，甚至之後還可能繼續聯繫，正正是人和人之間這份連繫很吸引我。」

一校之長，帶領學校發展方向，決定影響全校學生。何力高說，藝術課程與公開試無關，而課時有限，兩者存在張力，但他始終想令學生有多些不同學習經歷。「沒有東西比幫助學生成長更為重要，尤其是現今科技發達，知識唾手可得，教育學生如何認識自己、面對世界，建立好的價值觀，這些是最重要的。」

「教育旨在教好學生，除了傳達知識，還有文化和價值的傳承。而新傳訓練中，每寫一個故事背後，其觀點和價值都可以影響他人，兩者是一脈相承的。」陳倩君說。

簡介：
陳倩君，1992年於香港中文大學新聞與傳播本科畢業，先後修讀英語文學、資訊科技教育碩士課程；擔任中學教師逾17年，2013年起成為校長，現為九龍城瑪利諾修院學校（中學部）校長。

何力高，1996年於香港中文大學新聞與傳播本科畢業，曾擔任中學老師及電視台記者，2015年成為香港培正中學副校長，2018年升任校長，期間製作《震動心弦》、《奮青樂與路》等音樂劇，藉戲劇訓練培育學生品格。

From Breaking News to Breaking Ground: Journalists-Turned-Principals Transform Education

In a bustling auditorium at Hong Kong’s Pui Ching Middle School, students take turns performing dramatic scenes while their classmates eagerly offer feedback. This isn’t an after-school drama club – it’s part of the school’s formal arts curriculum, where students choose specialized tracks. Perhaps surprisingly, the drama instructor is the school’s Principal himself, Nick Ho.

Ho has made a name for himself in Hong Kong’s theater scene, with his inter-school musical Sing Out sweeping six awards at the Hong Kong Drama Awards. His eyes light up when discussing drama’s role in student development. “Communication graduates tend to think differently,” he reflects. “I started producing musicals purely out of personal interest, not because it was required. It just kept growing more exciting and ambitious. Having communication graduates in schools tends to bring a certain vibrancy to campus life.”

Another communication graduate at the helm of a prestigious institution is Chan Shin-kwan Meimei, Principal of Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section) in Kowloon City. In contrast to Ho’s dynamic classroom, we find Chan’s gentler presence, where her heartfelt dedication to young people is evident. During our photo session, she naturally engages with communication students, discussing her recent trip to educational organizations in the United States where student mental health was a key topic of discussion.

Before stepping into education, Chan worked as a journalist. While she cherishes those days for broadening her horizons, she notes a key difference – in journalism, your connections with interviewees are often fleeting. “Education offers something deeper – you can guide students through several formative years, often maintaining relationships long afterward. That lasting human connection is what drew me to education.”

As school leaders, principals guide their schools’ development direction, making decisions that affect all students. Ho acknowledges the inherent tension between arts programs and academic requirements, particularly given limited class hours. Yet he remains committed to providing diverse learning experiences. “In today’s world, where information is at our fingertips, helping students grow as individuals is paramount,” he emphasizes. “Teaching them to understand themselves, navigate the world, and develop strong values – that’s what truly matters.”

“Education isn’t just about conveying knowledge – it’s about transmitting culture and values,” Chan explains. “In journalism, every story we write carries viewpoints and values that influence others. Education works the same way.”

Profiles:
Chan Sin-kwan Meimei graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Journalism and Communication in 1992, later earning master’s degrees in English Literature and Information Technology in Education. After 17 years of classroom teaching, she became a Principal in 2013 and currently leads Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section).

Nick Ho, a 1996 graduate of The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Journalism and Communication, worked as both a secondary school teacher and television reporter before becoming Vice-Principal of Hong Kong Pui Ching Middle School in 2015. Since his promotion to Principal in 2018, he has produced acclaimed musicals including The Awakening and Sing Out, integrating theater into his vision for student development.