bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Library has room for improvement
The 12-storey Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay is very popular among students in the area.
But many of them are facing difficulty due to the limited number of seats for self-studying.
A lot of the seats on the eighth floor were dismantled three years ago. They were replaced with sofas or became empty spaces.
This has deprived many youngsters of a study place.
During examination time, there is a long queue of students waiting for the library to open.
There is still much open space in the library, so more seats should be installed.
Or the library should set aside a special area for self-studying.
Also,  the library does not offer sufficient books for the readers to borrow. The adult section, which lends books to the public,  occupies only one floor and lacks variety.
I believe the library has room for improvement.
Maxwell Chan, Queen's College
Swim method puts life in danger
Recently, I read a newspaper article about a mainland girl whose parents tied her limbs and made her swim in a river for three hours.
They did so because they want their daughter to swim the English Channel one day. Some experts say their action may constitute child abuse.
I believe the parents did not deliberately ill-treat their  daughter because they supervised her when she was swimming. But I am totally against their training methods.
Swimming for three hours is already exhausting. But, by tying their daughter's hands and feet,  the parents have gone too far.
Their intentions may be good, but the way they train their child is completely wrong. It is not necessary to tie the girl's limbs to improve her swimming skills.
People actually use their limbs to swim, and by resorting to such extreme methods, the parents put their daughter in grave danger.
They should realise that safety comes first. I hope they use milder training methods in future.
Chan Sau-ting, STFA Tam Pak Yu College
Ways to boost HK's living standards
Ten years after the handover, Hong Kong still has many problems to solve.
Here are some suggestions to help boost Hong Kong's living standards.
Like Macau, Hong Kong should develop more tourist spots, helping to bring in more revenue
The government should learn a lesson  from Sars and improve the city's medical services
Authorities should encourage young people to have babies by providing more incentives
Hong Kong should enhance communication with the central government to stimulate economic growth
The government should listen to the people's opinions on key issues affecting their livelihood
Poon Wing-yin
Need to curb cyber addiction
My five- and seven-year-old cousins  have their own computer and portable game consoles.
But my aunt only allows them to use the internet and play computer games when they have finished their homework and revision.
Not all parents are like my aunt.
They give their children too much freedom.
So it's easy for the youngsters to become addicted to the computer.
This will affect their health and academic results.
They will stay at home and use the computer instead of doing exercise outdoors.
A lack of exercise can lead to obesity and various health problems.
I think parents should prohibit their children from using the computer for a long time. Also, they should encourage their children to do more exercise.
Suki Chan, Kit Sam Lam Bing Yim Secondary School
Top English teacher
Ms Chu was my English teacher in primary school.
She's a very hard-working person. She said that when she was a junior secondary student, her academic results were not good. Her mother always compared her performance with that of her talented brother.
But she didn't give up and worked harder.
Finally, she got good results in the HKCEE.
That's why I admire her so much.
When I was in Primary Five, she had been teaching me for five years.
That year, she focused on pronunciation and vocabulary and helped improve our reading, writing and oral skills.
Now, I can understand most English TV programmes.
I think Ms Chu is the best English teacher I've ever had.
Enoch Leung Ka-nok, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College
Show the way
Some parents want their children to excel in their studies. Their expectations are too high.
When children fail to do their homework, parents should not physically punish them.
They should act like adults and explain to the youngsters the importance of having a good education.
The writer of the star letter, 'Support your friends and family' (Young Post, October 15) said: 'Parents should not force children to study so hard and pay more attention to their feelings.'
I agree with her.
Some children get upset very easily.
They could take drastic action, such as running away from home.
So I hope parents stop hitting their children and explain to them how a good education can brighten up their future.
Ikra Gulzar, California School



letters