He will spend hours, even days, to help his slower pupils catch up on Mathematics and Science. Sometimes, he even sleeps overnight at his pupil’s place after an intense group revision to make sure the student is fully prepared for a major examination.

He is equally committed to his "problem kids". He will join them at their favourite joints, listening to their woes and grouses, counselling them on the right course of action, and never once giving up on them until he has won them over. Thanks to him, four "blacklisted" boys have now given up their errant ways and started concentrating on their studies.

Once, he confronted an accomplice of a wanted man who robbed one of his "problem boys" of a wallet at a hawker centre. He brought the boy to a police station to file a report before sending him safely home. The whole episode ended at 4am, and the boy had his wallet back the very next day!

Mr Anthony Tang, surrounded by a group of students he trained for a school dance-drama item.

These and other stories of Mr Anthony Tang’s selfless devotion to his pupils, submitted by his colleagues and pupils at Bowen Secondary, so impressed the judges of the Readers’ Digest Award Committee that they conferred on him the Inspiring Classroom Teacher Heroes Award together with a cash prize of $1,000. The award was presented to Mr Tang by the Minister of Health and Second Minister of Finance, Mr Lim Hng Kiang, at the Raffles Hotel on 13 November 2001.

Mr Tang, who is Head of IT/MRL at Bowen Secondary, spoke modestly of his triumph. "I know that there are far more inspiring teachers out there. They have touched the lives of their students in ways that I can never match. I dedicate my award to them for they have taught me that to serve, one must give oneself totally, selflessly and unconditionally. To quote the late Mother Theresa, one must ‘give till it hurts’."

Inspiring words indeed!

Contributed by Bowen Secondary School