School principal embroiled in Singapore spat dismissed

A secondary school principal who is suspected of verbally abusing a security guard in Singapore has been relieved of his duties, after the school he worked for on Wednesday said they did not accept his resignation. The managers of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School said Lee Cheuk-hing's vulgar behaviour violated the Education Bureau's Guidelines on Teachers' Professional Conduct, and tarnished the school's reputation. In a statement, the school's incorporated management committee said it did not accept Lee's resignation on May 28, six days after the alleged incident took place during a school trip. If Lee's resignation was accepted, he would have stayed until the end of August. "If he were to stay on as principal until August 31, the school's normal operation would be severely impacted, hindering teachers and students from moving on as quickly as possible," it read. "The incorporated management committee therefore acted on the instruction of the [school's] sponsoring body ... by immediately dismissing Lee Cheuk-hing and relieving him of all his duties." Lee's position will be taken up by his deputy, while a search for his replacement will commence later. Moving forward, the committee will set up a task force of education veterans to review the school's administrative and personnel matters, and provide relevant suggestions. The committee also apologised to everyone in Hong Kong and Singapore, saying they would ensure that teachers uphold their professional conduct and be role models. Edited by Aaron Tam