The piper payers don't always call a nice tune The entertaining Jake van der Kamp made two points about the Hong Kong Institute of Education fracas (South China Morning Post, March 2). He believes that educators should obey their political paymasters and is 'disposed' to favour a merger with Chinese University (merely because the 'big boss' says so). I visited East German universities and schools in 1984 and 1986 and can assure him that 'those who paid the piper called the tune'. Good though some aspects of the system were, no research or viewpoint that challenged the authority of the GDR communist party was permissible. With Hong Kong school principals already more terrified of upsetting the mandarins of the Education and Manpower Bureau than our government is of offending Beijing, does he really advocate a subservient tertiary sector? It would be disastrous to allow Arthur Li Kwok-cheung to 'donate' this purpose-built, taxpayer-funded teacher education institution - with its world-class education library, outstanding computing facilities and excellent facilities - to CUHK, merely to gratify his own former employers. There are three lessons here for van der Kamp: stick to topics you understand. The involvement of business people in education is usually counterproductive. Be logical and consistent. If you don't want a planned socialist economy, support academic freedom. And, as you often tell Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, think before you write. PHIL GLENWRIGHT, Ma On Shan Smaller class sizes pay bonus to this student I completely agree with Amelia Smith (Smaller class size important for better individual learning, Education Post, March 3) and her satisfaction with the growing trend of smaller class sizes. I attend an international school with small classes and I see how much difference a class size makes. My math class this year consists of nine students, and is the class in which I feel most comfortable asking questions due to the closer environment and the approachability of the teacher. As a small class, we have been able to create a strong bond between students and teacher, and are able to enjoy the extremely important benefit of having quality one-on-one time if anybody has questions. In some of my larger classes, sometimes it's hard to get a chance to talk privately with a teacher during class because there are too many other students. Occasionally, I tend to hold back some of my questions in these classes because I don't want to slow the entire class down. As I prepare for college in the United States, I know I will have to get used to the much larger class sizes. I will be sure to incorporate the newfound confidence that I have gained into both college and life after. HANNAH SILVERSTEIN, Pokfulam Grey area fades to clarity using common sense The oral examiner from a tutorial school (Guidelines unclear in oral exams a grey area, Education Post, March 3), who for some strange reason is unwilling to give his/her name, exemplifies perfectly the problems the Education and Manpower Bureau and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority face when they attempt to introduce change. There is a sad reluctance in Hong Kong to embrace change and to think out of the box. It is astonishing that the writer of the letter feels a need to ask questions such as 'must a candidate speak for 55 seconds to avoid losing marks?' Surely common sense would give you a clear indication of what to do. If, by the end of a six-minute discussion, you have no idea of a student's language proficiency, then perhaps you ought not to be an examiner or should be advised to go on a refresher course. I have been an oral examiner in Hong Kong for a number of years and each year I am disappointed by the stony-faced expressions of so many examiners. They do little to put the candidates at ease, rely totally on the timer and the mark sheet and fail miserably at their main role, which is to draw out the best from the candidates. It is time that people such as the tutorial school oral examiner realise that the oral exam is stressful for the candidates and that your role is to make the process as bearable as possible. That means rephrasing questions if necessary, being flexible with the time (who cares if it is 45 or 55 seconds really?), engaging the students and, most importantly, showing a degree of warmth and humanity rather than acting robotically. JOHN CROFT, Wan Chai
