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 Our beloved teacher and former Principal
Mr Earnest Lau, affectionately known as the Mr Chips* of ACS, passed away on 05 March at the age of 82. He was recuperating after a recent pacemaker inplant and died of heart failure during an afternoon nap. (*
Mr Chips was the much-loved public school teacher in James Hilton’s successful book “Goodbye, Mr Chips” which was later adapted for the screen, TV and the stage)
A true-blue ACSian, Mr Lau returned to teach in ACS after graduating from Ohio's Oberlin College and Oxford's Balliol College, where he obtained an Honours Degree in History and Diploma in Education. He made a great impact on the lives of thousands of ACS students, especially those in the late-50s who associate him with the stirring “40 Years On” which he taught and sang with gusto when he first joined ACS as a teacher. The younger ones from the 1977 to 1983 era will remember his charismatic leadership when he was the school Principal. An author of several books, Mr Lau was the Archivist of The Methodist Church in Singapore before he passed away.
Mr Lau was a wonderful teacher who enriched the lives of thousands of students under his charge. There was never a dull moment during his lessons which were delivered in his clipped Oxford accent, and with the occasional "mana boleh" (his favourite expression) which cropped up every now and then as he spoke.
The flood of tributes that flowed in is a testament to the immense influence he had over many in the ACS family, the Methodist Church and the community. In addition to the reports in the press, numerous email exchanges over the net and the Facebook page in memory of him, we would like to share with you below some personal anecdotes that speak volumes for Mr Lau; these accounts also reveal some aspects of him which few are not aware of.
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"Ernest
Lau had a big voice, a smile
that could light the skies of
Singapore, a strong handshake
and an enthusiasm for life. He
had a daily routine of walking
twice around our housing
subdivision every morning and
evening. His walking was a jog
even in later years when he used
a stout walking stick to help
him along. The
neighborhood dogs would bark
until he softly quieted them.
The dogs paid attention to him!
He
had a fantastic memory. He was
commenting about the speech I
had just given, when he said,"
Say, didn't you represent ACS in
a speech competition?" Sure did
but that was 43 years ago! I
remembered rewriting my speech
because the original elicited a
few 'grumphs' from him. By that
I mean he made some inaudible
noises. Mr. Lau expected the
best. What a joy it was to be
able to step up to the plate.
And he remembered!
When invited to dinners,
he sent bouquets of flowers with
notes of grateful thanks and
appreciation. What a classy
thing to do! He
entertained my children with his
kung-fu sword routine...every
step performed perfectly....done
on his driveway... neighbours
stopped to watch. No short cuts
with that routine and it ended
up to enthusiastic applause.
Such a wonderful way for the
neighbours to get together and
connect.
Lau was a classy
gentleman, my friendly neighbour
and my teacher. He was a
beautiful person. I will miss
him. We all will for a great
person has left us."
Suellen Ng
(Pre-U Arts Class of 60/61)
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"I was moved by the eulogies made at Mr Lau's funeral service, especially the relevation that he had made a $1million donation towards the purchase of a property adjoining Kampong Kapor Methodist Church for a sanctuary to serve the community, and not just the church. The building is named "The Unfailing Light", after a magazine that his father, the late Rev E. S. Lau, was editor of.
Those of us fortunate enough to have Earnest Lau as our class teacher in Sec 4D quickly overcame the terror that other students faced in his presence. You will recall his nicknames of Bulldog, Ernie and Ah Lau. My first encounter with him was when I was in Sec 3, and it was over the use of 'can' versus 'may' - something that I remember till today, and I am certain that I was not the only one. I had gone to his class and asked 'can I speak to so-and-so?' and his loud retort was 'can you?
CAN YOU?', followed by an even loud roar 'MAY I'!!
Lim Cheng Wee (Class of 65/67)
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"Eloquent
and always well-attired, he was
courteous and kind to all his
students regardless of who they
were, as all his students were
equal before him. Yet,
he was not unaware that some
among them would need help more
than others given their
different family backgrounds. To
this end, he would leave no
stone unturned to come to their
aid.
I
recall the time when Mr Lau
approached me to ask if I could
give up my school scholarship -
I was 3rd in class and only 3
school scholarships were
available - for the 4th boy as I
did not need the scholarship
money, whereas the 4th boy
needed the money to carry on. I
was touched by his care and
concern for the 4th boy; more, I
was also surprised that Mr Lau
made it his personal interest to
know not only his students in
classwork, but their family
backgrounds as well, to come to
their help should the need
arise. I readily acceded to his
request.
Mr
Lau was very kind and easily
approachable for his students to
feel at ease before him; this,
at a time when corporal
punishment was the norm in
schools. He never pinched, let
alone slapped, anyone of us.
If at all he was
displeased with our
misbehaviour, he would still
smile and banter with us even as
he got his message across to us
in no uncertain terms. It is no
wonder that he was much
respected and loved by his
students".
Yap
Swee Hoo (Class of 57)
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Mr Lau was indeed bigger than life and indeed the epitome of a perfect gentleman.
Rest well, Mr Lau. We will surely miss you!.
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