校監的話
Message
from the Supervisor
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北角聖彼得堂幼稚園 |
校監的話 林振偉牧師
世界沒有一個民族會漠視兒童的教育，也沒有一個家庭把兒童的成長看成可有可無的事，就是怎樣貧窮，作為父母的，都希望子女獲得教育的機會。
全球兒童高峰會在一九九○年度的年會上就有這樣的一句話作為會議的焦點：「為兒童締造一個美好的將來是世人最崇高的使命。」(There can be no task nobler than giving every child a better future.) 這句話帶有普世的價值，無論大家因着文化、風俗、宗教，或社會經濟實力上的差異，都有着同一的目標，把教育視為兒童成長的必需品。
然而，教育從來就不是容易的事。古希臘哲學家亞里士多德(Aristotle)早就說過：「教育是一件苦差，卻能培植出甘美的果實。」實在難，但能讓人看到成果。印度有句諺語：「年少所學，猶如石上銘刻，終生不滅。」我們今天能讀、能寫、為記，能用，都是小時候用心努力學習的成果，當時看不到甚麼，卻塑造了今天的我。然而，智利女詩人米斯特拉爾(Gabriela Mistral)卻希望我們知道，小孩子不會明白明天的事，他們只有「今天」。她說：「我們可以等待心中祈求的事物，但孩子卻沒有這份能耐。在他面前，我們不可以說明天。他的名字是今天。」這正好道出幼兒教育的重要，也說出了聖公會北角聖彼得堂為何在五十五年前已有這個遠象，在當時剛剛發展的北角社區，及後來在赤柱馬坑邨內，興辦幼稚園。
我們之所以關心小孩子的成長，不僅是見到當前的需要，配合社會的未來發展，培育人才，更希望為人類世界培育一個又一個有血有肉的人。小孩子的心靈健康不是書本可以打造給他們的。當大家把精力集中投放在怎樣操練自己的子女，務求他們文武兼備，在未來日子可以打拼天下時，誰曉得小孩子的字典裏只有「今天」這個字？當刻的感受是最深刻的，最能刻在他們心靈的深處裏，永遠陪伴着他們成長。如果我們真的擔心自己的子女能否讀書有成，或許可以借鏡十九世紀一位英國政治家及自然科學家洛博克(John Lubbock)的話，他這樣說過：「最重要的不是向世界上每個兒童施教，而是給予他們一顆向學的心。」同樣也可以向阿拉伯人學習，他們會告訴你：「接受怎樣的薰陶，老來就是怎樣的一副模樣。」今天是怎樣的你，將來就是怎樣的他。你能給他們愉快的童年，他們和他們的子女將來也會同樣愉快。
這正是聖公會北角聖彼得堂辦學的理念，讓我們的小孩子愉快地學習，他們的心靈能健康地成長。本着基督教信仰的精神，我們相信每個人生命裏都有着上帝的形象，是上帝創造世界時，刻在每個人的生命裏。看着小孩子面上的笑容，見到他們有時也會流淚，感到他們都會驚慌，這一切都告訴我們：小孩子不是機器，每天重複幹着同樣的事，他們是有血有肉的。
聖公會堂幼稚園已走過五十五個年頭，聖公會聖彼得堂幼稚園(赤柱分校)及聖彼得堂赤柱幼兒園也二十五歲了，但我們仍抱有遠大的目光，繼續陪伴我們的小朋友，跟着他們一起成長，因為這是北角聖彼得堂作為辦學團體的使命，令小孩子快樂，發掘和保存他們的童真，把希望的種子栽種在他們的生命裏，為他們天天灌溉。
Supervisor’s Remark
No one country in the world will treat with indifference of children education, and no parents, whether they are poor or rich, will care less about the personal growth of their children. All want to give their children the best education.
The Children Summit convened by the United Nations in 1990 holds this motto: “There can be no task nobler than giving every child a better future.” This strongly reminds us that no matter we are divided by culture, religion, or socio-economic strength, we do have one commonality which calls us to treat the personal growth of children as a necessity.
Doing education is never an easy job. But the Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Certainly, it takes time to see the fruits grown to maturity. How about this Indian proverb: “Learning acquired in youth is an inscription on stone.” We can read, we can write, we can mark, and we can use, all are fruits of our hardship that we had endured when we were young. However, Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral wants to tell us: “Many things we need can wait, the child cannot … To him we cannot say tomorrow. His name is today.” Education is about today, and therefore education is so important that we cannot wait. Fifty-five years ago, when North Point was about to develop, St. Peter’s Church Kindergarten was already there to begin the mission of educating the children. It was same to St. Peter’s Church Kindergarten (Stanley) when people began to move in the Ma Hang Estate in Stanley.
We are concerned with the personal growth of every child, not that we see only its importance, but we see also the need of keeping pace with the development of the society and of the world. Children are our future, and their health in body and soul cannot be given by way of the worship of book-learning. When parents are so concentrating on equipping their children for tomorrow, at times they forget their children’s need of today. It is the word “Today” only be found in the children’s dictionary. Their immediate feelings are their most impressive responses to their surroundings, and they will carry these feelings with them throughout their journey of life. If we are worried only with the success or failure of their future, John Lubbock, who was a British politician and natural scientist in the 19th century, may the answer for us, which said, “A wise system of education will at least teach us how little man yet knows, how much he has still to learn.” We may also seek wisdom from the Arabians whose proverbs said, “The way you are fashioned in your growth, you’ll grow to be in your old age.” What you are today will certainly shape what you will be tomorrow. The happiest years your children be given today, the most nourished life they will grasp in their future.
It is what the mission of St. Peter’s Church Kindergarten on children education is about. We want our children to own their happy learning that nourishes their earliest years. We uphold the Christian faith and value that each one of them is imprinted with the image of God in the creation. Their faces tell us many stories, stories full of happy smiles, stories with bitter tears, and stories with terrible fears, all truly show us one fact: our children are not machinery, they are of flesh and blood.
For the past 55 years in North Point and 25 years in Stanley, our two St. Peter’s Church Kindergartens have been upholding the mission of educating our children. We are with the children. We walk with them, hoping to see them grow happily, letting them find their way of life. We believe that by daily watering, these seeds of life will one day grow into maturity with abundance of fruits.