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SCMP Reporter

Q Should the cultural hub's giant canopy be built?

The cost of constructing and maintaining the canopy will be huge, but the income gained in the future will not be small. Sightseeing in Hong Kong is getting boring and some new attractions are needed.

The hub will certainly become a landmark of Hong Kong, and the canopy covering it will be the main reason, attracting millions of visitors. If it is well-organised, it will improve our reputation, which is an invaluable asset of Hong Kong.

People argue that the canopy is just for decoration. However, the trees and pools in parks are for decoration, too. Should they be removed? Yeung Chun Wing, Tsuen Wan

Q How can we keep our schools virus-free?

The gastroenteritis virus is spreading at an alarming rate and threatening our schools. But I think that our existing policies are good enough to stop the spread of the virus. Students are required to check their body temperature every day before school, and schools will send  ill students to  sick rooms  to separate them. Also, schools have adopted strict hygiene policies, such as cleaning every classroom with disinfectant regularly.

These policies are ideal,  but in practice, a lot of students do not follow the rules strictly and always have excuses for not having their temperature checks. Also, only major parts of  classrooms will be cleaned with disinfectant because workers always rush their work  and do not clean the corners.

This  reduces  the effectiveness of the  policies and the virus may penetrate into schools. What we need to do now is to make sure that all policies are followed in a strict way and that school principals should monitor the work  in detail.  Simon Lee Hau-man, Tsuen Wan

Q How could primary school seats be allocated fairly?

Regarding your article on the school selection process, I believe the government must seriously reconsider how children are allocated to schools.

The process is supposed to be fair in that it eliminates academic pressure on pre-school students. However, it still allows schools to select students based on criteria that in other countries would be deemed unfair.

For example, students that have a religious affiliation with a school are automatically given extra points - points that give them the extra edge allowing them to be selected in the first round. Schools that are to be funded by  taxpayer money should not be selecting students based on religious criteria.

The Hong Kong system seems to be a legacy of the colonial period when missionaries built the schools, and the British government sought to encourage the local population to covert to Christianity.

In other democracies, there is a clear separation between church and state, with the realisation that biases towards any religion on the part of the state could result in instability.

As a result, in many countries, church-affiliated schools are not allowed any  taxpayer funding, let alone the right to pre-select students. The churches argue that since they have put so much effort into administering the schools, they should have the right to pre-select students.

However, this argument is dangerous. For example, what if non-affiliated schools decided to give extra points only to those students who did not have any religious affiliation, arguing that as administrators, they have the right to choose students who are not religious. Or, how about the Falun Gong starting a school with taxpayer money, and selecting only students who believe in Falun Gong.

If the government's goal is to create a level playing field, then schools should not be allowed to select students on criteria such as religious, sibling and alumni affiliations, or if they do, then they should do this as private schools and not accept money from taxpayers.  Sam Wong, Discovery Bay

On other matters ...

Our Legislative Council never ceases to amaze me. Maybe it should be called 'The Grilling Council' because that is what they have been doing all these years.

Take the recent panel meeting regarding the Equal Opportunities Commission saga. The panel was to find out the reason behind the dismissal of a senior officer and the resignation of chairman Michael Wong Kin-chow.

Before the bottle was even opened, the grilling started. I would have thought that Legco members would have heard all the facts before making any decision, but I was terribly mistaken.

A decision was made long before the meeting and the grilling started almost immediately and relentlessly.

In my mind, there is no doubt whatsoever that these Legco members only want to seize any and every opportunity to 'grill' any and every person, so long as it constitutes grilling the 'establishment'. Those who oppose it are treated as heroes. Chang Chang-san, Causeway Bay

Recent reports that more and more Hong Kong residents are depressed and tired comes as no surprise to anyone who has to travel a long distance to and from work. Employers make staff work  extra hours for no extra pay.

So, if one wants to spend time with family members, the only solution is to sleep less. Before you could at least sleep on the train or bus.

Now workers who travel by bus are kept awake by the bursts of sound from the roadshow service. Travelling by MTR or KCR is no better.

As soon as you nod off, a loud phone will ring or you have to listen to the high pitched electronic noise from text messaging. It is about time that commuters who want to relax and sleep are given the opportunity to do so.

Andy Yau, Wan Chai



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