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Each week our two teenagers debate a hot topic. This week ...
Jeffrey Wong, 19, Diocesan Boys' School
Our education system has  undergone major reforms recently. Next year's  3-3-4 system will extend the  time at university from three years to four years.
The benefits of this change certainly outweigh the costs.
All-round education is always the ideal of  schooling, and this extends to  university education. Graduates  should be prepared to become leaders of society, and  back-to-back lectures and tutorials alone do little to shape  one's character.
To breed  excellence,  more opportunities must be provided to  students.
In a three-year degree, there is only time for the majority of students to focus on academic achievement.
By extending the period of studies,  students can spend more time really getting to grips with their subject and at also spend time on other 'minor' subjects and extra-curricular activities.
Being an all-round person requires cross-disciplinary knowledge and the ability to do things other than quote academic facts.
A longer tertiary programme also allows time for cultural exchanges which will allow Hong Kong students to better appreciate other cultures and thus broaden their horizons.
More time at university means more time to work on becoming a more balanced person.
Claudia Yip, 17, Shun Lee Catholic Secondary School
The Education Bureau's new   3-3-4 reforms  seem to be  aimed at enhancing the quality of its products - the students. But  will extending higher education from three years to four  really benefit  students?
The reform will make university even  less affordable, as they have to pay for another year of tuition, accommodation, food and so on.
Consequently,  students from lower income families will be unable to attend,  freeing up places to those with more money but  lower academic achievements.
Scholarships and low-interest loans will not necessarily  help, as guidelines are very strict.
Attending university for a longer period  won't necessarily help students get ahead.  For example, to be an accountant, the current course already provides adequate training for  students to take the standard examinations so as to gain the qualification.
Some other subjects, like management and finance,  allow for intern opportunities - a reminder that there's more to life than study.  If  more teaching time is necessary, the subject already allows for it, as we see with degrees in medicine and law.
While it's generally agreed that university  life is very valuable, this doesn't mean students need more of it.  Other  experiences are equally or even more important.
For instance, travelling  can widen their horizons more than university  life could.
However long Hong Kong students stay at university, the important thing is  how they use their experiences to their advantage after they graduate.



Are four years of university education necessary for Hong Kong students?