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SCMP Reporter

What do you think of the nine-year-old's university admission?

Next bid please. First,  we have an 'underprivileged' 14-year-old going to an international school. No, all change, now it is university. Oh, and now we have a nine-year-old going to Baptist University.

Well isn't that impressive, that our top institutions can accept such talent and develop them further for life.

Whilst I am a supporter of personal development, hard work, choice and achievement, isn't this getting a little silly? What about youth? What about fun? What about love? What about doing the simple things in life that we may get wrong or right, but make us better people?

I can understand a family wanting the best for their child, but what I cannot get my head around is university at nine and the loss of all the other things we need to learn. Yes, university is about learning, but it is not just academia! It is about life in general.

I saw the little boy  on TV and he was a little boy, who appeared distracted, uninterested and was wondering what he was doing at the press conference. He is nine.

Well done for the parents who have obviously nurtured him so far. But is this next step the right one?

I think it says nothing for our tertiary education system if they think this is good and condone it. Sorry, have to go and play with the kids (aged six and eight).

Chris Hanselman, Sai Kung

I think the nine-year-old boy who is going to study in university will miss something important in his  life.

There is no doubt he has done extremely well in mathematics, but he is just  a simple kid, and in every other respect is just like other children.

He should have the right to enjoy primary school and then secondary school life, like other people. A lot of people look back on their school days as the best time in their lives.

However, this boy, March Boedihardjo,  will miss out on the opportunity to enjoy that experience.

He is a genius, but even a genius needs friendship and happiness, and a nine-year-old might struggle to find this in a university  environment.

I think it is regrettable that he will sacrifice the chance to lead a normal life, in order to learn more at university.

I think it is far better for a child to be able to find the right balance between studying and enjoying life.

Poon Tsz-hin, Tseung Kwan O

I am unsure about whether or not it is a good idea to let a nine-year-old attend university. He will be unaccustomed to university life. It is not like a primary school.

Undergraduates are not just at a university to study. They also get involved in other activities, but a nine-year-old will be too immature to join them. Because of this, he will not be able to make friends.

As he moves into more advanced areas of study, he may lose contact with the friends he made at school.

The mode of teaching at university is very different to the kind of teaching at primary schools and a nine-year-old may have difficulty adapting.

Philip Wai, Kwun Tong

How can the family of Yu Man-hon, missing for seven years, be given more help?

It was heartbreaking to read that  Yu Man-hon  has been missing for seven years ('I won't have my missing boy declared dead',  August 23).

I appreciate the perseverance of his mother, Yu Lai Wai-ling,  in her efforts to find her son, but more co-operation between the Hong Kong government and mainland authorities and more help should be given to  Man-hon's family.

The two administrations should maintain  close contact with each other.

The local authorities in Shenzhen should also put adverts in newspapers and on TV and radio to increase public awareness.  At the same time, the government should assign a social worker to help the family.

The mainland authorities could also work with other provinces in the search for Man-hon.

So Wai-yan, Kwun Tong

Man-hon's case is a tragedy. His family has spent between HK$1 million and HK$2 million to try and find him. His uncle stopped working for four years in an effort to find him.

Man-hon is just one of many missing persons cases.

I think something can be done to help families where a loved one has gone missing. Newspapers could have a page where people could advertise for free in an effort to find the missing relative.

The Hong Kong government could also establish a special department which would exchange information with the mainland authorities.  Also, subsidies should be available so people do not have to bear the economic burden faced by Man-hon's family.

Yau Yung-hon, Kwun Tong

Should the levy on domestic helpers be scrapped?

The fund from the monthly levy on employers of domestic helpers  has reached HK$3.4 billion.

This is a huge amount of money, but the government has done nothing with it.  Some employers think the levy is pointless and want to see it scrapped.

In fact, the levy was set up to train workers.  Employers should realise that they cannot get better services if their domestic helpers do not get enough training.

I think some of the money could be used to help foreign  helpers. They come to Hong Kong alone to work.  It is sometimes difficult for them to survive in this cruel world, especially Hong Kong. The fund could help with their training, so they could provide a high-quality service.

Pang Tsz-shan, Lam Tin

On other matters ...

I travel regularly on the  Citybus  No780 service. I board  the bus at the stop in front of Wan Chai police station.

I would like Citybus to explain why  the bus has to turn into Cotton Tree Drive,  navigate a 270 degree turn and go into Lambeth Walk  and then to Chater  Road,  then turn right into Jackson Road  and finally make a quick stop at Statue Square  to drop off passengers. There is no designated bus stop along this stretch, only traffic lights.

There is always congestion from Cotton Tree Drive to Jackson Road.  Why can't this bus just go straight along Gloucester Road,  after stopping  at the bus stop in front of Admiralty MTR station?  This  would save everyone time and also help to reduce congestion.

I hope that Citybus will conduct a review of the route of the No780.

Thomas Won, Wan Chai



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