School

Brand name school works, but only if you measure it that way.

That's what Julie Lyncott-Haims, Dean of Freshmen and Undergraduate Advising at Stanford University, teaches us in her book How to Raise an Adult. One of the oft-quoted measures, the U.S. News college rankings, simply reflects how hard a school is to get into - to say nothing of the tuition fee - and what a group of other educators think of it, which is a function of how hard it is to get into.

In her TED talk, Lyncott-Haims reminded the audience to let children develop into their selves, have free play, and to broaden our definition of good school.

I still think my daughter's school is a magical place, but not because of its ranking. Quite the opposite. Long story short: a school my child loves. We visited the Old Tai Po Police Station on the public holiday after Mid-Autumn Festival yesterday. This is the second time my daughter learned about the heritage of this historic building. We were impressed. Before going home, Jasmine asked us to bring her to her school nearby. "Oh, this is a holiday, my dear," we said to her.

My daughter's answer took no time. "I know, mum and dad, and I just to want to say hello to my school."

This brief sentence takes sixteen words, but each one tells me how much she loves her school.