They may hide their problems and not listen to others.

They may also lose interest in doing their work, while some may even turn to drugs and alcohol.

It is important that they have someone by their side who listens to them talk about their problems.

A helpful adult can make a world of difference for troubled teens.

Kathy Tsui Tuen-yee, The Chinese Foundation Secondary School

Bride Wannabes has good and bad points

I think the TVB reality show Bride Wannabes has both good and bad points.

On the bad side, 'life coaches' on the show appear to be telling contestants to pretend to be someone they are not - even to the person they hope to marry.

They also classify women into very narrow categories. If we all thought like this, human diversity would shrink.

Yet it does seem that some contestants have gained confidence.

I think the problems with this programme come from us - for judging these women.

Hermione Chan Pui-lam, Christian Alliance S. C. Chan Memorial College

Shenzhen shoppers may ruin home city

Thousands of Hongkongers of different ages like to go to Shenzhen to shop for low-priced food, clothes and household products.

As they have limited budgets, many youngsters find the prices of clothes there much more attractive.

A TV documentary showed that many housewives living in the North District go to Shenzhen to buy food and everyday goods at least twice a week. They say this helps their family budgets.

While all this is good for Shenzhen, it is not good for shop owners in Hong Kong. Despite their higher prices, they do not make huge profits because their expenses are also high.

If people keep shopping over the border, these shops may have to close. Those that stay open might charge even more for goods. In the long run, this could badly affect Hong Kong's economy and society.

Jensen Ho Chun-ho

LS grants should be kept in place

I am writing in response to the article 'Liberal studies grants to dry up' (SCMP, May 3). A two-year funding scheme for schools to develop materials for liberal studies will come to an end soon.

It may be true that 92 schools have spent less than half of the initial HK$320,000 grant, and 33 schools have not spent a cent.

Yet that does not mean they do not need the grant.

Every school can choose a suitable time to use the money. The above statistics are based on data only from the first year of the grant. That means the Education Bureau has not considered the situation in depth.

Many schools have been using the grant to hire and train teaching assistants. Many part-time teachers and assistants will lose their jobs if the grant is stopped.

This will increase the workload of full-time teachers. In turn, this may affect the quality of teaching.

LS exams are usually based on current events. That means LS teachers have to keep up with the latest developments. That is a time-consuming process.

Schools need extra resources so the bureau should keep the fund in place.

Kelvin Lam Kin-wang

We simply need more sleep

Many people do not get enough sleep. They often feel very sleepy by day and find it hard to concentrate. Students especially suffer from sleep deprivation.

The reason is heavier workloads. Students have more class work and homework to do.

The education system is very competitive and that places a lot of pressure on us.

Some of us do not get to bed until 3am and will have to wake up at 6am.

We need both better time management and more realistic goals. Teachers, too, should consider whether they give too much homework to their students.

We just can't go on like this.

Kori Fancutt