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SCMP Reporter

Should the Sun Yat-sen park move to his old school site?
The good thing about the proposal to turn the former police married quarters on Hollywood Road into a new Sun Yat-sen memorial park is that it marks a  change of attitude shown by some members of the administration.
Such a park would help  relieve the development density of the surrounding area.
Such a  congested area would benefit from a park with greenery and open leisure space.
For example, in Japan you often find a serene temple within a crowded area that offers some quiet space for the general public to relax and  breathe fresh air.
Hong Kong lacks such spaces and hence this proposal is to be welcomed. Greenery can always offer sensual stimulation within crowded urban spaces.
This park is also a good idea because of the historical link with Dr Sun.
He studied at Central School and the remains of this school have been found on the site of the married quarters.
This is a more suitable location than the present one near  Western Park Sports Centre.
This shows that the administration has started to trace the history of urban spaces and attempted to make sense out of it.
I think the Development Bureau should be applauded for its sensitivity on this issue, because relating the remains of the former Central School to its most famous student  is tantamount to heritage conservation at a conceptual level.
It might become a popular memorial park in this congested district. I hope that  an innovative park design will be adopted. This would be a welcome change,  given that many of the parks managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department are awful.
The design should inspire a sense of tranquillity, it should be an oasis in this stressful city.
On a final note, the site is very close to Central Police Station, which  will be turned into a cultural complex if the Jockey Club's proposal is accepted. Can the two sites be linked in some way that offers a larger scale of revitalisation for this area? The administration should think about this possibility.
H. C. Bee, Ho Man Tin
How can we prepare for the ageing population?
According to government projections, by 2033 over 26 per cent of the population will be aged over 65.  Society is going to have to deal with the problems associated with this  ageing population.
People who are about to retire must be given two guarantees. First, we must ensure there is a sound pension system in place for people from all walks of life.
The Mandatory Provident Fund schemes are helping people to save money for their future pensions.
MPF schemes are very important because the public purse could not cope with providing an old-age allowance to so many elderly people.
With the ageing population there will be a greater demand for medical care.
The government must take responsibility to cater to increased needs, with more doctors and hospital beds being made available.
Phoebe Kong Wing-yi, Tai Po
It was inevitable that Hong Kong would have a problem with an ageing population.
The number of people in the workforce is declining and solutions must be found to deal with this problem.
The old-age allowance should be introduced as soon as possible. This would allow the elderly to spend more on health care.  Another short-term measure would be the provision of inexpensive accommodation, even dormitories, for old people who are struggling financially.
Education is the key to the long-term strategy. Emphasis must be placed on core family values.
Young people should be made to appreciate that when they grow up they have to help look after their elderly parents, not abandon them.
Lee Wai-ying, Ngau Tau Kok
To tackle the ageing problem, we need more accommodation for the elderly and a higher old-age allowance.
We also need to make young people aware of their duties.
In traditional Chinese culture  the  family values and the responsibilities you had in the family were widely promoted. But as the pace of  economic development has accelerated, many modern Chinese seem to have forgotten these family values.
The government can help get the message across about the importance of the family.
If more pensioners can be looked after by their families,  the amount the government has to spend looking after the elderly can be reduced..
Danny Chow Ho-ting, Yau Ma Tei
Do you think schools are too strict?
A survey has found that the rules students most frequently break are to do with  dress codes, behaviour in class and taking valuable but prohibited items to school ('Students not living by rules', October 30).
However, I don't think the rules in these areas are  too strict.
Students go to school to equip themselves  for the real world. They are not just studying academic subjects. It is also important for them to realise that society has moral codes, with rules that exist to be observed.  For example, not allowing a pupil to come to school with an outlandish hairstyle prevents students having to compare and compete with each other in areas such as fashion.  The primary purpose of these rules is to create a good learning  environment in a school.
In terms of school uniforms,  students who wear these uniforms are representing their schools and their behaviour affects how the general public views that school.
Students can do whatever they want when they take off the uniform, but they should abide by the rules when they are wearing it.
Nevertheless, the rules should be adjusted from time to time. For example, I have heard that some schools stipulate that students wearing glasses should only have black or dark blue frames.
I think this is unreasonable as glasses are not part of a uniform and students will wear their glasses outside school hours.
An overly strict rule might mean a student had to buy two pairs of glasses, which would be a complete waste of money.
If school rules are reasonable and changed when they are out of date, I believe most students will be happy to obey them.
Candy Lam, Kwun Tong



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