In response to the letters regarding the English Schools Foundation (ESF) school system (Pierce Lam, South China Morning Post, April 3 and Sue Li Post, May 23), I would like to point out that there is a broader problem here. My two children are Americans of Caucasian descent, yet they speak Cantonese and English fluently. We arranged for this (though it was quite difficult), precisely because we knew we would be in Hong Kong long term and we wanted them to be better integrated into their environment. It was the best decision we have ever made. We chose not to put them in local schools because the local schools are already overburdened financially and numerically, and the level of English instruction in local schools is a continuing problem. I have many friends in Singapore who do put there children in the local schools (which are much better funded by the Government). The schools there teach in English and Mandarin and the level of English instruction is excellent. If Hong Kong is to continue to be an international city it will have to accommodate somehow the flow of children of international executives, etc, that are transferred here for two to three-year stints. To expect these children who have never spoken Cantonese (and who will never have the opportunity to do so again) to learn a foreign language for such a short time is unrealistic. ESF schools require for admission that the student be able to converse in English (many local schools have the same or stricter requirements for Cantonese), and that you live in the catchment area. The impression given by the letters I have read is that the ESF schools are predominantly Caucasian; this is far from the case. My children's friends at school are English, American, Canadian (of Asian and non-Asian descent), Indian, Japanese, Korean, etc. Increasingly these schools are reflecting the general make-up of the region. I think the answer is not to discourage schools that make Hong Kong attractive to businesses relocating here, but, rather to invest in the present school system itself. I hope the future government takes this more seriously than past governments have. FRANCESCA CRAIG The Peak
