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Speaking 'Chinglish' is a bad habit
 Some students in my school always speak in a combination of English and Chinese. So their sentences sound very strange because they are neither English nor Chinese. 
Many other students in Hong Kong have this bad habit.  
First of all, these students will never learn to speak English properly if they continue to speak 'Chinglish'. We all know that we can improve our English by speaking it regularly.
English and Chinese are two completely different languages. They have different syntax and vocabulary. If we continue using a mixture of English and Chinese, we will always make mistakes. 
People who hear us speaking like that might think we lacked the skills to express ourselves properly. They will have a low opinion of us.
 In addition, speaking 'Chinglish' will make us inadequate in both English and Chinese. That will reduce our ability to express ourselves well in either language. 
 So let us stop this bad habit.
Cherry Wong, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College
Animals deserve the right to be safe
 No one has the right to take someone else's life. That includes animals. 
The Earth is home not only to us but also to a great variety of animals. We should strive to maintain a harmonious relationship with them.
Animal rights advocates are calling for more stringent punishments to people who harm animals. I agree.
Yet I think it is education that can create the greatest impact.
Young people should be taught in school to respect, love and protect animals. It should be part of the curriculum to educate youngsters about the value of life.
Catherine Cham, YWCA Hioe Tjo Yoeng College
Abuse can have lasting effects
 According to a news report, an eight-year-old girl was locked out on a balcony by her stepmother as a form of punishment. 
The girl was denied food and had to spend the night there. She was starving and bitten by mosquitoes. 
I was shocked by this story and felt very sorry for the girl. Her parents divorced when she was just three, and she has not seen her mother since. Her stepmother routinely abused her and her father did nothing to stop it.
 Such abuse will harm not only a child's body but also her soul. She may come to mistrust everyone and may not be able to establish lasting relationships with anyone even as an adult.
As a mother, she might treat her child in a similar way, thinking that it is natural. And so abuse can continue down the generations. 
I think the girl's stepmother and father have no sense of morality. Parents are responsible for their children's wellbeing. They should treat them well and care for them.
Children have feelings and deserve love and respect. 
People who abuse children are no better than criminals. They deserve to be punished severely.
Natalie Wong Hoi-yi, Pooi To Middle School
Breastfeeding needs to be encouraged
 The shortage of baby formula has highlighted the need for breastfeeding in Hong Kong. 
 There is no doubt that mother's milk is the safest option for babies. In the past few years, there have been several scandals involving tainted baby formula. Using mother's milk helps evade that danger. 
In addition, mother's milk is rich in nutrients that help protect babies against childhood diseases. 
 Unfortunately, mothers can be reluctant to breastfeed their children. Breastfeeding can be a time-consuming and difficult job. Not all mothers have the time and patience for it. 
More importantly, women in Hong Kong only have a short maternity leave. That leaves them only about two months to breastfeed their newborns. 
Many women wean their children off the milk before they get back to work. 
To complicate matters, public places lack breastfeeding facilities. In effect, women are forced to give up breastfeeding. 
Yet I think a baby's health is extremely important. It is time we did our best to reduce our reliance on baby formula in favour of what is best for infants.
 Koey Kwong Ka-yi, Kit Sam Lam Bing Yim Secondary School



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