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SCMP Reporter

Separate deal for special students

Disabled students  include physically and  mentally disabled children as well as those with specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia.

In a normal school,  children can develop their potential to the full and become well-adjusted individuals in the community. Can disabled students enjoy a normal school life?

The general aim of special education is to provide children with special needs the training and education they require to develop their potential and become as independent as possible, while enjoying community life.

Is it a good idea for such special needs students to attend a normal school?

Students with special needs constantly need the help of others.

Their constant neediness could disturb their classmates.

Under the present education policy, students with special educational needs are encouraged to study in normal schools and thus benefit from a normal school setting. It is believed that such students will benefit from mixing and interacting with normal children in a normal learning environment.

But online research reveals that only about 13 per cent of staff in normal schools believe normal schools are suitable for students with special needs.

And only 16 per cent of parents of children with special needs believe their children should be allowed to study in normal schools. They say normal schools don't have the facilities that special needs children require.

Schools that are not educationally inclusive are not suitable for disabled students.

Timmy Tsang

Yan Oi Tong Ting Ka Ping  Secondary School

A golden chance to shine with Olympics

In less than a year, Beijing will be hosting the Olympic Games. Most of the facilities for the grand sports showcase have been built already, and at an astonishing speed.

The Games offers China a golden opportunity to shine on the international stage. But poor behaviour on the part of the locals could tarnish Beijing's image.

Spitting, squatting in public places and jumping queues are common practices among mainland people. It will be difficult for the government to get rid of these deep-rooted habits in a short period.

There is an urgent need to educate the people about their civic duties and teach them socially acceptable behaviour.

The authorities should hire more workers to keep the streets clean and maintain good hygiene in the Chinese capital. By improving Beijing's environment, China can attract more tourists.

The government should have a long-term goal of educating the public on the importance of a clean environment.

I sincerely hope the Olympic Games will bring glory, not shame, to China.

Yeung Ka-man

Ju Ching Chu Secondary  School (Kwai Chung)

Retain our talents

Some gifted students have entered university at a very young age, according to recent news reports.

Many parents of gifted students say that Hong Kong's education system does not help their children realise their full potential. So they have sent their children overseas, where there are better resources to teach gifted students.

This is a big loss for Hong Kong. We have very intelligent students, and we must do everything to ensure that they stay in Hong Kong.

These talented young people will lead the new generation of Hongkongers to greater achievements.

We should avoid a situation where we may regret the loss of clever people to foreign countries.

Chan Chi-lam

Po Leung Kuk Lee  Shing Pik College

In love and inspired

Some parents and teachers say teenagers should not get involved in love affairs as this could affect their academic performance.

I don't agree. I think students can learn a lot from their boyfriends or girlfriends. A partner will help motivate them to reach greater heights.

A responsible romance

can bring a teenager a lot of happiness.

But it can be a problem for young people who are unable to manage their time properly.

Remember, love means looking in the same direction - not into each other's eyes, which can be a distraction.

Jeff and Eva

Beijing beckons

I had a wonderful trip to Beijing during the summer holidays.

It was a great experience visiting the venue of the 2008 Olympics. Although most of the new buildings are not yet completed, they still looked magnificent.

I visited many historical buildings in the city, and also schools.

I could see the students work very hard and want to make a contribution to society. They all have clear goals.

The students in mainland China are more hard-working than Hong Kong students.

After the trip I have started to see myself as a Chinese, not just a Hong Kong person.

Wu Pui-shan

TWGHs Lui Yun Choy  Memorial College

The sunstroke risk

The summers are getting hotter and hotter because of global warming. People who work outdoors are affected by the high temperatures. They are at risk from sunstroke, which could be fatal.

Hong Kong's severe air pollution problem only makes the situation worse.

Global warming is caused by harmful chemicals being released into the atmosphere.

We should all do our part to reduce pollution.

Helen Ng Shuk-yin

Leung Shek Chee College

Confidence the key

Sometimes, despite your hard efforts, you fall short of expectations, and you may think it is not worth the effort.

One reason for failure may be a lack of confidence. Without confidence, you will not have the drive or energy to succeed. Be confident in whatever you do.

Edmund Wu Tin-long

Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen  Yiu Memorial College

Teens and uniformity

I agree with the student who wrote the letter 'Find out about teens in other countries' (Young Post, August 25). Hong Kong teens are different from teenagers of other countries. Personally, I would rather wear casual shirts to school, as many students in Japan do, than a formal school uniform.

Different countries have different cultural ways and values. Students' uniforms vary from country to country. Even teenage behaviour can vary from country to country.

Ng Tung

The power of smiles

I enjoyed the letter, 'Smile and the whole world smiles with you' (Young Post, August 11). Smiling makes you happy and others happy too.

Also, people look more attractive when they smile. If you smile a lot, people will find you attractive.

The other nice thing about smiling is that you tend not to think about unhappy things.

Try it, and discover the power of a smile to chase away a bad mood.

A smile has lots of benefits.

Kary



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