Hong Kong school which fired principal over swearing incident at Safra Jurong advertises vacancy

A secondary school in Hong Kong is searching for a new principal with "outstanding leadership skills and excellent character" after it sacked its previous head over a swearing incident that occurred in Singapore.

Lee Cheuk-hing, who was principal of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School, had pulled faces and scolded two security guards at Safra Jurong in a heated dispute over parking on May 22.

He tendered his resignation after the incident went viral and caused an online uproar, but the school board ordered his immediate dismissal on June 3.

On Tuesday (June 9) the school put up a newspaper advertisement to fill the vacant position, reported local media outlet The Standard.

The notice, which was also uploaded onto the school website, said applicants must meet a set of criteria including educational ambition, vision, and the ability to lead the school in realising its mission and vision. 

Strong teamwork skills are needed to develop quality education, it said.

Candidates must also possess "outstanding leadership skills, excellent character, rich experience, and a strong network to promote school development".

Other requirements include a strong command of Mandarin and English and teaching experience.

Applications should be submitted to the chair of the school board by June 27, the advertisement stated.

In a statement on June 3, San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School said it believed allowing Lee to serve his original notice period of about three months would "severely impact" normal operations.

"Regarding the unease caused by Mr Lee Cheuk-hing's unacceptable behaviour in Singapore, the school board sincerely apologises to all in Hong Kong and Singapore," it added.

The school also vowed to review its conduct guidelines for teaching staff members.

@asiaone Lee Cheuk Hing, the principal of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun on Thursday (May 28) resigned and apologised, days after a video showing him swearing at security guards in Singapore surfaced online. #sgnews #Singapore #HongKong #hknews #Schools #Behaviour ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Lee, who would not receive any compensation from the termination, said on June 5 that he had appointed legal representatives to review his dismissal, reported the South China Morning Post.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com