Little Big Master
Have you ever heard of Lillian Lui’s story? Her story reminded me of what is said in the film “Bruce Almighty”, “If you want a miracle, be the miracle.” Maybe it is a good idea for us to reflect on the real meaning of education.
Lillian Lui (呂麗紅) was the principal of an elite kindergarten in Discovery Bay. She plans to retire and travel around the world with her husband. One day, she sees an advertisement in a newspaper recruiting a principal to teach the remaining five children of Yuen Kong Kindergarten. She thinks that early childhood education is essential. Therefore, she becomes the principal of the kindergarten for only $4,500 per month. But such a low salary does not deter her from teaching the five children.
Yuen Kong Kindergarten is in the verge for closure. One child is graduating while the other teachers and students have quit. The five remaining children are from underprivileged families. Their parents cannot afford to change to other schools. Lillian tries to cater for them with limited resources. There are no textbooks or toys. The air-conditioner is broken. They have to go to a public toilet nearby as the toilet in the kindergarten is broken too.
The five children have their own stories. Kaka Lo (盧嘉嘉) is one of them. Her father is handicapped. They live in a squatter house to be pulled down due to a development project. Every day, they are threatened by property developers because they refuse to give up the house. Kaka has to climb over a rubble hill to get to the kindergarten. Can you imagine a little kid doing so? When Lillian sees it, she asks a district councillor for help and calls the police to follow up on Kaka’s case.
Mei Chu Tam (譚美珠)’s parents died in a car accident. Auntie Han is her only guardian. Mei Chu always asks Han where her parents are. Han lies to her by saying they were hit by the thunderstorm monster. Mei Chu is very afraid of thunderstorms after that. When Lillian sees Mei Chu cry, she comforts her, saying that her parents are in heaven and encourages her to be perseverant.
Siu Suet Ho (何小雪)’s mother has not been approved for Hong Kong residency. Siu Suet misses her mother very much. She lives with her father, who makes a living by selling metal scraps. When she arrives home every day, she needs to help her father sell metal scraps and cook for her father because her father’s leg is broken. What was your dream in your childhood? Siu Suet’s dream is to learn as many new words as possible in order to write to her mother. Lillian encourages her to pursue this dream.
Kitty Fathima and Jennie Fathima are Pakistani. Their parents don’t have enough money to pay for transportation. Consequently, their mother tells Lillian that Kitty and Jennie will not go to school anymore. In some conventional Pakistani families, girls are not expected to study. Kitty and Fathima are from such a family. But Lillian does not agree with them. She believes that every child has the right to be educated. Lillian then convinces their parents by promising to drive Kitty and Jennie to school every day.
Apart from helping the five children, Lillian has to do some promotions to attract more children to the kindergarten. Initially, nobody comes to the open day. When there are more news reports about Lillian, the popularity of Yuen Kong Kindergarten grows. Some parents are influenced by Lillian’s story, so they let their kids go to Yuen Kong Kindergarten. The kindergarten can stay afloat ultimately.
What is the real meaning of education? Is it to help students enter a famed school and get exceptional results? From Lillian’s story, I realise that education means conveying the message that we should be kind to everyone. We should know what is right and wrong, as simple as that. Lillian says, “The number of students is not important as I am teaching five unique students.” Both teachers and students can benefit from education since life affects life.
Little Big Master is a film adapted from Lillian’s story. The film was produced in 2015. Miriam Yeung was cast as Lillian Lui.
If you want to read the book, you can buy it from online bookstores. You can watch the movie by renting the movie on Youtube.
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