The Support Centre for Teachers Using Chinese as the Medium of Instruction (CMI Centre) of the Faculty of Education of the University of Hong Kong has compiled the book True Stories on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS.) Hopefully, reflection on SARS will motivate teachers’ use of current affairs as a means of integrating social issues in their classroom teaching. This objective is to induce students to reflect on philosophical and moral dilemmas and in doing do give a purpose and outlet for mother-tongue teaching.

Every article in the book arises from the personal experience of people with SARS experience from Hong Kong , Guangdong and Taiwan . For Hong Kong participants, approval to publish the accounts was obtained beforehand. Students and teachers from the Faculty of Education pen crafted stories after consulting reports in newspapers, magazines and on the Internet. For accounts gathered in Guangdong , we are most grateful to Guangdong Publishing House of Higher Education and Yangcheng Evening Newspaper Group for their support and authorisation under which we were allowed to select materials from www.ycwb.com , the New Express and two books, Life Guardian and Unity is Strength. All the written work was assembled by visiting scholars in the Centre. The Taiwan accounts were from students in the Faculty of Education and from the Internet.

The book has been sent out to local secondary and primary schools. Copies of the book in simplified Chinese characters have been sent to universities, secondary schools and primary schools in Guangzhou and educational institutions in cities/counties in Guangdong Province .