ATS Education (the living)

In 1966, I entered Aberdeen Technical School when I was 10, to the one and only class of Primary 5, together with ~40 other classmates.  In 1967, another 40 students entered, to makeup a second class of Primary 6.  In 1968, a small number of new students entered at Form 1.  Together, we graduated in 1973, roughly 80 of us, when I was 17.  

This was not the type of private boarding schools for the rich and privileged.  It was at the other end, a boarding school for the poor.  The living conditions were frugal, almost spartan.  We slept in a big dormitory with rows and rows of simple beds, as many as a 100 in one big hall.  We slept on a plain straw matt placed over 3 wooden planks, which we have to wet and clean every Saturday afternoon.  Looking for and then killing the bed bugs, which suck the blood from your body.  We learned to live simply, without relying on a lot of material comfort. 

Afterwards everyone goes on a hike for 2-3 hours.  A typical hike consisted of walking from Aberdeen to Stanley and back.  We also climbed up and down the hill that is now Ocean Park.  It was so steep we had to use both hands and feet to climb up, and slide down on our butts.  It was a miracle no one seemed to have died, or even seriously hurt.  It was a bigger miracle that the parents didn’t complain.  It is difficult, perhaps impossible to do that now.  In those days, we simply admired the view of the horizon from the top of Brick Hill (Nam Long Shan).  We called it Hill of the Cock (雞公峰) then.  It turned out to be an excellent way to learn dexterity, endurance, determination and perseverance.  

All of our clothes and other belongings have to fit into a small chest next to our bed.  We got up at 6 AM, attended mass before breakfast.  Then classes before lunch.  Then afternoon classes.  Followed by a compulsory soccer game for an hour.  Shower. Dinner.  Self study.  In bed and lights out at 10 PM.  We learned to live with the minimal necessity, and discipline ourselves.  

Soccer hour was another unique ritual.  In a normal soccer game, two opposing teams play with one ball.  The ATS way was that multiple games were played on the same field at the same time.  Because of the lack of space, presumably.  At any one time, several balls, all identical, flied around the field, chased by 100+ students.  It was great training for soccer skills, concentration, and team work (social) skills.  It was a rather difficult time for those who are poor at sports.  That included myself, with poor balancing due to bad flat feet.  Surviving that taught us ways to cope with difficulties.  

Shower time was the greatest ATS ritual, seared into our consciousness forever.  We did have privacy, each given a stall with door.  Inside the stall, however, there was no on/off control knob.  All 100 stalls were controlled by the one main on/off knob, in the hands of the father or brother in charge.  And the shower provided only cold water, even in winter.  Some of us developed the skill to stand very still in a corner, to avoid getting splashed by the ice-cold water in winter.  It was referred to as “taking the corner kick (斬 corner)” like in a soccer game.  When it was really cold, we were allowed to take half a pail of hot water into the shower stall.  But it was still difficult to avoid the icy water coming out of the shower head.  Some of us felt that cold shower training was great for developing mind-body control. 

Such are some of the memorable rituals of an ATS education as we experienced it.  We believed it had a great influence on our character while we were growing up.  In many ways it stayed with us throughout the past 50 years.  And I had not even mentioned academics and faith yet.