Educated

“My father dropped out of school at the age of 14.”

When we asked Mr.Bishop about his family, he revealed that his father had embarked on various career paths. He had worked as a policeman and a chocolate factory employee, then eventually venturing into entrepreneurship and achieved financial success.

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“The one thing he decided that he wanted to do for his three children was to give us a good education, which he had never received.”

Mr. Bishop considers himself extremely fortunate to have grown up in a family that valued education. He is touched by his father’s determination of endowing him great education opportunities and acknowledges the countless possibilities and prospects this upbringing had afforded him. Moreover, he also expressed admiration for the incredible value that Chinese people place on education.

“What struck me most about China is how everyone just cares so much about their child’s education,” he exclaimed.

Just like his father pursued varied career choices, Mr. Bishop also explored different professional realms throughout his life, including business. It was in 2018 that he arrived in Shanghai upon invitation from his university friend David Mansfield, the former chief executive of YKPao, to explore opportunities in this city.

“It has never crossed my mind to work outside of the UK.”

Interestingly, Mr. Bishop admitted that working in Shanghai had never crossed his mind before, but he decided to look around the city since one of his friends had recently become the Senior School Principal of Wellington College, Shanghai.

When asked about his bond with Shanghai, Mr. Bishop’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Shanghai is an incredible city. It is hard to think of any other city in the world today comparable with it. ”

Mr. Bishop defines Shanghai as an incredible metropolis, he then further elaborates his personal story in this gorgeous city.

“My first visit to YK Pao took place on April 20, 2018, before I started [working here] in August 2018, and I remember two students that showed me around the school, Sammy and George , who have now both graduated. It was really because of them that I said ‘yes’ to the job, because they were so impressive.”

What struck Mr. Bishop most about YK Pao was the energy emanating from the young individuals that he encountered. It was their vibrant spirit that drew him to the school.

Extending further, Mr. Bishop remarked, “I have felt all the emotions that are to be felt here, yet there was never ever a single day at YK Pao that I felt bored.”

Mr. Bishop’s tenure at YK Pao can be likened to a vibrant canvas, where myriad emotions intermingle with each other. There are moments of joy, moments of anger, moments of frustration, yet never a single spot of blankness. On the colorful canvas, however, a tiny region of grayness may also be discovered, symbolizing the presence of the pandemic.

During the interview, Mr. Bishop admitted that the pandemic has been the greatest challenge he faced during his tenure in Shanghai. When sharing the stories that the school has gone through, he couldn’t help but sigh.

“It wasn’t only about the hardships that the school has gone through from the aspect of education. Teachers were running out of food and water, there were staff who just gave birth to their baby yet couldn’t approach the hospital to get the infant vaccinated…”

The intensity of the situation extended beyond what I imagined. Listening to Mr. Bishop’s words, memories of distress and helplessness during the lockdown trickled back to my mind.

“YK Pao would surely have gone further if there wasn’t the pandemic,” he added, sighing once again.

Nevertheless, amidst the thorny challenges, there were blossoms of success along the journey as well. YK Pao garnered recognition on the Forbes ranking list for international schools last year. It was the first time we ever made top of the list. .

‘That was delightful news”, Mr. Bishop smiled, a hint of satisfaction was evident in his voice.

Now, as Mr. Bishop is finally about to embark on his third retirement, we playfully inquired whether he plans to return to work once again. With a lighthearted chuckle, he responded, “No, I have worked enough.”

However, when asked what his plans for retirement, Mr. Bishop confessed that he had never given it much thought.

“I guess it’s now time for me to start thinking about my retirement plan”, he laughed, sharing that he dreamt of visiting the island of Bora Bora.

As the clock pointed towards 5pm, the afternoon sunshine filtered through the intertwining greenery and graced Mr. Bishop’s side. Despite his solemn demeanor, a gentle smile adorned his face, like it always did every morning, when he stood beside the front gate of the academic building and greeted every passerby with a cheerful ‘good morning’.

Mark Bishop, 2023