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SCMP Reporter

How can we improve English standards?
The problem with the level of English in Hong Kong government schools is a chicken and egg scenario.
The students' English is failing because the English level of the teacher is poor.
So to improve the English level of the teacher you  must improve the standard in the schools, but we cannot do that because the teachers' English is so poor.
The solution? Reform the system from K-1 to Form Seven.
Some ideas,  though not an exhaustive list for improvement, are:
Improve training of teachers;
Increase standards of proficiency in English;
Reduce the bureaucracy at the Education Bureau;
Have professionally trained educators in management at the bureau;
Offer more education-related training at the university level that  is taught in English; and
Require teachers to continue their postgraduate studies to attain higher degrees such as master's and PhD. Our students will become  more competitive because there will be a greater commitment to improve schools and trained teachers who are on par with international standards in education.
Craig Gibson, Sha Tin
What do you think of the artificial-beach plan in Tai Po?
The government plans to convert  Tolo Harbour's  Lung Mei  coastline into a bathing beach. There has been a dispute between those who support economic development and those urging ecological conservation in that area.
It is a difficult choice to make, but I would opt for conservation.
According to the report ('Planners disagree with opponents of artificial-beach plan in Tai Po', October 15), 200 species of plants, birds, fish and intertidal life exist in Lung Mei, some of which are endangered.
Opponents say that once large quantities of sand are dumped,  the number of species will drop.
The issue of endangered species is a worldwide problem. Should we make it worse just to create this beach?
I do not think this area is suitable for a bathing beach, because of its physical environment.
Also the water quality is poor, so I doubt   it will attract tourists.
It will be costly to maintain, as artificial beaches lose a lot of sand that needs to be replaced.
In addition, the cost to operate and maintain an artificial beach is high because of the loss of sand.
One example is  Golden Beach in Tuen Mun. It has to be regularly topped up with sand.
Liu Hiu-kwan, Tsuen Wan
What do you think of the green-belt site for the Mega Tower  plan?
I refer to John Cheng's response (Talkback, October 16)  to my letter (Talkback, October 13) on the Mega Tower project.
It is wrong to say that those who are opposed to the project all live in Mid-Levels.
The Mega Tower, if built, will not block most views from Mid-Levels, as the project is  in Kennedy Road.  It is correct to say that the completed project will also include a road-improvement scheme and a new public park will also be built. However, Mr Cheng has not taken into consideration the effect the increase in traffic will have on the area.
The proposed road improvement will not be able to deal adequately with the increased traffic load. It is not that the developer is not willing to do further improvements, it is to do with the physical constraints of the site and its immediate environment that prevent it.
The scale of the development is incompatible with the surrounding area. The Mega Tower is simply too mega. Mr Cheng talks about the need to create more job openings during this period of financial turmoil.  However, that will be achieved through the chief executive's 10 infrastructure projects.
What the opponents want is for the project to be scaled back so that it is more compatible with the area. Why is the developer, Hopewell Holdings,  so keen to revise the original plan  to maximise  the plot ratio?
Why must such a monstrous project be built in a tiny and tight site?
Opponents respect the developer and the views of those who support the project, but Hopewell Holdings should also listen to those who reflect the needs of the district.
H. C. Bee, Kowloon Tong
Should more be done to help Tin Shui Wai  residents?
The Executive Council  has agreed to allocate land in Tin Shui Wai for a residential development for the elderly, but there is still a lot more  that the government could do for the residents  ('A year later, woes in Tin Shui Wai linger', October 15). The crux of the problem is that most of the people who live in the area that has been called the 'city of sadness' come  from the mainland.
Some of them cannot cope with the lifestyle of Hong Kong.
They find it very difficult to get a job, because they lack the skills that are required by prospective  employers in the city. And they have a long way to travel between Tin Shui Wai and the urban area of Hong Kong where most of the available jobs are located.
Therefore, the government should provide more social services to the residents and help them to acquire the skills that will enable them to cope with life in Hong Kong.
Newcomers need to be given assistance so that they can better handle the problem of culture shock and learn  to be assimilated into the local community.
We need to see decisive action from the administration to give the necessary assistance to these residents.
Jimmy Fok, Kwun Tong
On other matters ...
We would like to thank Dai Evans for his comments (Talkback, October 16) in relation to the purchase of cable-car tickets at Ngong Ping 360.
First of all, we would like to express our sincere apology to Mr Evans and his family for the unhappiness caused during their recent visit to Ngong Ping 360.
Indeed, we welcome guests from all over the world and aim to provide an enjoyable experience for everyone.
We have interviewed the ticket-sales member of staff, who said he had no intention of offending Mr Evans.
What he meant to explain to Mr Evans was that at present, discounts are only offered for holders of Hong Kong senior citizen cards.
We appreciate that the staff member's communication skills could be strengthened to prevent a similar occurrence in future.
We would like to  thank Mr Evans again for his comments, which are valuable in helping us to seek continuous improvements in our customer  service.
Siu Kam-hang, head of public affairs, Ngong Ping 360
A consumer study reports that Hong Kong consumers are the fastest in Asia ('HK has fastest buyers in Asia, study shows', October 16).
This study was obviously not conducted in the fruit-and-vegetable sections of supermarkets where I shop.
I am always amazed that women (yes, they're all women) can pick up every single pear, peach, apple or avocado before finally deciding on that special one - discerning qualities among these virtually identical fruits that elude me. Worse than blocking others  is their habit of throwing  discards back with enough force and disdain to damage them.
The only pleasure to be found in this experience is to quickly snake your hand in, grab any one of the beautiful fruits, and watch their eyes narrow - wondering if by some trick or special knowledge you managed to get the only good one.
Don Ellis, Clear Water Bay



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