I REFER to Christopher Homfray's letter 'Give us more time off work' (South China Morning Post, July 15).
May I suggest that we start with children? Because of the inadequacy of our educational facilities, most primary school students are only eligible to attend schools on a half-day basis from Mondays to Fridays, supplemented by lessons on Saturdays.
The poor kids (like my own child) have to work five hours at school and then bring back some homework (at least for the main subjects, Chinese, English and mathematics) which will take them about two to three hours to finish.
Periodically, they need to work harder to prepare for tests and examinations.
Coupled with the travelling time spent between home and school, the standard time for sleep and the time required for other daily necessities like meals and baths, the time left for play and leisure is very limited.
Older people feel the pressure of work and insufficient time for relaxation, but can find an outlet - such as writing to the press.
