Finally, Professor Chan touched on what he felt was a lack of respect towards teachers and students by Government. He pointed out that in Hong Kong only the top 16.5% of matriculated students are accepted into tertiary institutions. However, instead of feeling proud, some of these students are frustrated and saddened by the fact that they are unable to enter HKU or CUHK. Equally demoralising is the Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers (LPAT) which uses a punitive approach to identify losers. In Professor Chan's view, teachers in Hong Kong are mostly caring and conscientious, and continually seek opportunities for self-improvement. The "value-for-money" inclination in government policy has distorted the entire educational picture. While it advocates the utopian concept of "learning is more that scoring" among students, it is in fact plagued by a "money-conscious" obsession which permeates all areas. Schools boasting about their value-added service and the salaries of university graduates being displayed prominently in the news headlines are but some of the indicators of this perverted concept of education.

On a more positive note, Professor Chan identified several reasons for optimism and hope. He noted that Hong Kong had conscientious teachers, caring parents and obedient students. Upon these foundations, Professor Chan believes that there can still be a positive change in education provided that well-intentioned reforms are allowed to mature and both the community and the media are more forgiving.

Two days before his retirement, Professor Chan rearranged his schedule to enable him to attend his last meeting with the Joy of Learning Editorial Committee, of which he is a veteran member. The Committee is grateful for the contribution of and advice given by Professor Chan since its inception. After the meeting, Professor Chan spoke about his plans after retirement. In addition to travelling with his wife, Professor Chan hopes to spend more time with his two sons and their families.