Q Should ESF schools come under the direct subsidy scheme?
I write on behalf of an often silent section of the Hong Kong community - middle-class second and third generation Indians. Some of us choose the ESF schools for their liberal style of education, contrasting it with the sterner education we ourselves received and struggled with. Others of us try to send our children to Cantonese-speaking kindergartens and mainstream local schools. However, the children struggle with the curriculum, having insufficient background in Chinese, especially written Chinese, and we end up having to withdraw them.
Typically, we are all committed as Hong Kong citizens. We work within small businesses in Hong Kong. We get by financially, but we are definitely not rich. We certainly could not afford an ESF education if fees were to rise substantially.
Moving the ESF schools to the direct subsidy scheme (DSS) may be a solution. But our concern is that the many restrictions placed on the DSS schools may affect the school's ability to recruit the right teachers and provide the right curriculum. The ESF schools are doing such a good job with our children at the moment. We worry that a move to the DSS may compromise the characteristics that make the ESF unique.
Ranoo Wasan, North Point
Q Is this year's Statue Square Christmas tree better than last year's?
