As a seasoned education professional, Mrs. Betty Choi has over 40 years of experience in the education sector. She has been leading St. Nicholas’ English Kindergarten since 1988, shaping it into one of the finest early childhood institutions in Hong Kong. Her goals for the children of St. Nicholas’ reach beyond academic success. She places priority on cultivating compassionate, ethical citizens who exhibit kindness and generosity and value differences in religion, race, opinions, and ideas. She strives to engage students with the outside world, and feels strongly that topical issues in the news have a very important place in the classrooms of St. Nicholas’.
Betty was born and raised in Hong Kong. She spent her early years teaching at both a kindergarten and primary school. When she and her husband, also an academic, had the chance to relocate to mainland China, Betty found herself with a very satisfying job as the head principal of a through-train private school — her first foray into the world of independent schools — which later led her to her current role at St. Nicholas’. She was inspired by the idea of “private schools with public purpose,” and her mission became clear: to use the resources available in an independent school setting to lead the way in forward-thinking education for children that teachers around the world can observe and learn from.
Most of Betty’s free time is devoted to exploring education from different angles. She serves on a committee of the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association that ensures vast learning opportunities for girls in Hong Kong. She is also a voracious reader of magazines and books, particularly ones that tie in to her work as an educator. For Betty, education isn’t just a job she leaves behind when the bell rings. It’s a mindset, a passion and a way of life.
