我2012年在聖保羅男女中學畢業時，獲選代表畢業生於畢業禮上致謝辭。當我把精心寫成的講稿交給老師後，老師對講稿作出不少改動，令我頗為不滿。爭論不果，我綵排時只得照讀老師改過的講稿，正式致辭時也要拿着老師改過的講稿上台。誰知我上台後完全不看稿，反而背出我原先寫的演辭。最後全場掌聲雷動，那位老師亦大方地過來跟我握手，一笑泯恩仇。由此可見老師胸襟廣闊，使我十分敬佩。
母校百年慶 探教育真義
在母校百年誌慶之際，分享我當日在台上背出的演辭，也藉此探討教育的真義。以下為中譯本的節錄（後附英文本）：
馮國經博士伉儷、主席先生、各位校董、陳校長、各位老師、各位家長、各位同學：
今晚的典禮堪稱繼往開來——第一屆中六文憑試畢業生以及最後一屆中七高考畢業生，走過了各自的披荊斬棘之途，終於共同肄業。
狄更斯有句名言：「那是最好的時候，那是最壞的時候。」用來形容今屆畢業生的中學歲月，至為適切。我們感受過前無古人的興奮，也感受過後無來者的彷徨。我們經歷過柳暗花明的時刻，也經歷過山重水複的瞬間。我們享受過老師們妙語連珠的幽默，也享受過通識科「獨立專題探究」的洗禮。不論有多少起落、多少變遷，在師長、父母、朋友的支持和我們的共同努力下，我們走過了這段刻骨銘心的路。
然則我們踏出聖保羅的校門後，又如何繼續在未來的道路上邁向成功呢？誠然，我們所學過的《前出師表》、電化序、「健康信仰模型」、餘弦定律等等，大家想必快將忘卻，或是已然拋諸腦後。但教育的真義恰恰在於我們忘掉所學的一切之後所剩的能力──中西文化觸覺、環球視野、溝通技巧、邏輯推理、獨立批判的思考、謙遜的態度、學習的熱情，將使我們終身受用，成為社會棟樑。
更重要的，是校園內對多元意見的包容以及仁愛之心。如斯氛圍，培養了我們不但暢所欲言，擁護己見，更懂得包容和尊重不同的意見和聲音。羅拔．甘迺迪曾說：「我們的生命是如此之短暫，而使命是如此之偉大，哪裏有時間讓分裂和征服在世界上延續下去？」為了我們學到的這一切，我們向陳校長、我們的老師和家長衷心致謝。百感交集，真乃情長話短。
在未來的日子，我們定將努力不懈，追求理想。不論是成為醫生、律師、政治家、數學家（眾笑），抑或擔任任何其他職業，我們都會各盡所能，將世界變得更有智慧、更美好。不論遇到多少困難，我們都會銘記並秉持「信、望、愛」的校訓。不論面對什麼挑戰，我們都會奮然而起，征服未來。這是我們的承諾，也是我們不可動搖的使命。
以上中譯本節錄，曾刊於《大公報》，獲作者授權轉載。
英文本（全文）：
Good evening Dr. Fung, Mrs. Fung, Members of the College Council, Dr. Chan, teachers, parents and fellow St. Paulians,
Tonight is not only a graduation ceremony, but also a chance for us to reflect upon our past six or seven years at St. Paul’s and how we have been prepared for the challenges ahead of us.
This is a special graduation ceremony as we have two cohorts in this hall – the last batch of Form 7 A-level graduates and the first batch of Form 6 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education graduates. For the Form 7 graduates, the last CE and A-level exams were battles they could not afford to lose, as stated in the vote of thanks two years ago. For us, the Form 6 graduates, the uncertainties of a completely new public exam have given us just as much pressure, worry and challenge.
Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” This line seems fitting to describe what we have gone through together as Form 6 and Form 7 graduates. We had the best of times exploring new subjects; we had the worst of times being confused by new requirements. We had the best of times celebrating our successes; we had the worst of times being hit by frustration and setbacks. We had the best of times enjoying our teachers’ unparalleled humor; we had the worst of times struggling with our Independent Enquiry Studies.
No matter what times we had, we would not have made it to this day without the support from our teachers, parents and friends as well as our hard work and unwavering determination. We have dedicated teachers who have stayed up late at night marking our homework and preparing for our classes, we have loving parents who have always been a source of courage to us throughout our lives, and we have great friends who have supported and helped us as companions along the way. For all these, we are truly grateful.
This much we share – and more.
We share many good memories in the various clubs, societies and teams, interclass activities, Sports Days and Student Activities Weeks. We shall never forget our class performances, farewell concerts and graduation dinners. Some of our Form 6 graduates participated in the first Rites of Passage program in Australia for a month. In the program, the rich community living experiences were enhanced by a variety of challenging physical and intellectual activities, which made us discover a lot more about the world, our friends and ourselves. This was truly an unforgettable learning experience. Throughout the years, we have learned together, grown together, and come to understand and love each other. It is my belief that the friendship we have built here will remain with us in the years to come. Many of us are now studying overseas, and many of us may be working overseas in the future. We shall all go far in our lives, but some day we shall all come home and meet again at our alma mater.
And how has St. Paul’s equipped us to embark on our journey ahead? Most of us may forget 《前出師表》, the electrochemical series, the “health belief model” and even the cosine law after several years, if not already. But the true meaning of education lies not in the subject content itself, but in what is left after we have forgotten everything we have learned. What is left are the sense of Chinese and Western cultures, a global perspective, communication skills, and the ability to think logically, independently and critically. We have also been constantly reminded to remain humble while exceling and we have been instilled a passion for lifelong learning. These are what will make us future leaders of society.
And yet more important are the free environment that embraces a diversity of opinions and the care and love that fill our campus, which have cultivated us to become individuals who not only advocate what we take to be right, but, more importantly, also accommodate and respect those who differ from us. For in the words of Bobby Kennedy, “Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done is too great to let [the] spirit [of division and subjugation] flourish any longer…” For all these, we thank Dr. Chan, our teachers and our parents. Never have I wanted to express so much gratitude within so short a time.
With all the qualities St. Paul’s has bestowed on us, we will go on to pursue our dreams. Many of us will become doctors, some will become lawyers and politicians, and one or two may take up the unique profession of a mathematician. (laughter) Whatever we become, we will strive to leave the world wiser and better than we found it at our birth. We can all do well in this world. We may have difficult times. We have had difficult times in the past, and we will have difficult times in the future. But let us always be firm in our faith, infinite in our hope and vast in our love. No matter what challenges lie ahead, we shall take tomorrow by storm. That is our promise, and that is our unshakeable destiny.
Thank you very much.
封面圖片：網上圖片
內文圖片：作者提供
