Page 129 - 羅富國校友會（七十五周年紀念特刊）

Echoes Towards Gratitude

✽海外來鴻（澳洲阿德萊德）

My journey began at NCE …

Au Kit Oi Eliza（1969 NCE Alumna）

I finished my School Certificate Examination in 1967, a memorable year for many
people in Hong Kong. We saw a labour dispute at a plastic flower factory in San Po Kong

morph into a series of demonstrations, riots, and bombs blasts. While I was working on my
School Examination papers in St Paul’s Convent School, violent clashes broke out between

protesters and the police in Central and Causeway Bay. Occasionally I could smell smoke
from the tear gas outside. One day after my examination, traffic was barred from going

through Central. I could not get to my home in Central District. Fortunately, my classmate
let me stay in her home that night.

After the Certificate Examination, I continued my study as a science student in Form 6.

In the first month of study, I began to think about whether I wanted to study Mathematics,
Physics or Chemistry at university. I thought I could manage these subjects, but they did not

seem interesting. When I got the acceptance letter from NCE, I knew I had an alternative. I
could leave school after Form 5 and study to become a teacher.

When I arrived at Northcote I fell in love with the scenic surroundings of the campus
and the hostel in Sandy Bay. The campus at Sassoon Road was big and well equipped.

The library block that was separate from the main building, was well stocked with books

in English and Chinese. The main teaching block was U-shaped. The classrooms and staff
rooms were located on different levels at the left from the main door. Further down were
the special rooms such as handicraft, art, music, etc. The auditorium and gymnasium were

at the right of the main building and the lecture theatre Room 501 was at the top level of

the teaching block. It was in the lecture theatre that mass lectures such as education, health
education, education technology and briefings on teaching practice were held. The seating
was in sloping tiers. The timber benches allowed a large number of people to squeeze in.

So, we sat shoulder to shoulder at the back. It seemed everybody enjoyed seeing others and

being seen.
To become teachers in primary and lower secondary school, we had to study four

subjects in the two years at NCE – two academic subjects, one cultural subject and English.
I did not have a problem in opting for Science and Mathematics as I had taken these subjects

in the Certificate Examination. We had to choose a cultural subject from Music, Physical
Education, Domestic Science, Art, or Crafts. I had loved drawing and painting since primary

school days. However, I had not had a chance to study art after Form 2 because my school

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Northcote College of Education Past Students’ Association 75 Anniversary Special Issue 127