Leading Through Crisis: Hong Kong

Ben Keeling, Principal, Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong

The unusually early arrival of Chinese New Year was long foreseen. Traditionally facilitating a period of mass territorial transit, it marked the beginning of a new chapter following months of political upheaval. Little did we know how significant the break would prove. The first coronavirus related death within Hong Kong arrived almost immediately afterwards and we didn’t see students on campus again until May.

Government response has proven remarkably effective. We are able to boast of one of the lowest transition rates in the world, but the impact of isolation weighs particularly heavy in a region where the average apartment size is just shy of 650 square feet. Acting as a critical point of sacrifice, our education system has suffered severely - some would say necessarily. Among the most significantly disrupted in the region, perpetual change has been the only predictable feature and the irregular beat has been operationally exhausting. But such swift evolution has also acted to enliven and inspire. New habits formed, a specific and quite spectacular vernacular has arisen. While tempting to long for the banality of normalcy, professional learning is often stimulated by pressure and opportunity always emerges from challenging circumstance.

People and Places

The heady combination of pragmatic necessity and creative abandon has accelerated progress across the sector. The education system under review, we are more effective learners, communicators and contributors as a result of our digital exploits. Technological implementation has been revolutionised and there is no turning back.

While very few of us would have volunteered for the undertaking, we will be galvanised by our experience in time, good habits rewarded. Some lessons have proven satisfyingly counterintuitive: urgency is often the friend of compassion, operational agility the raffish partner of prudent planning. Others confirm longstanding truths - among them one stands above all others: schools are about people, not places, and they play a critical role in the lives of families, communities and society.

As a consequence of our experiences:

• We have learned that constraint inspires invention

• We have grown more accepting of change and more willing to embrace informed spontaneity

• We have become more directly connected to parents as creators and partners.

Challenging times often bring a community together. The disruption in Hong Kong has been as invigorating as it has been exhausting. When the dust settles, we will emerge stronger and more united. Only the silver linings will remain.