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SCMP Reporter

Quake shows need for reform in rural areas
I refer to the report  ('HK-funded schools escape the devastation', May 21). China must be complimented for its openness to the world media in the reporting of the recent earthquake in Sichuan .
Openness will reveal many problems. But these are problems that the government can handle once they have been identified.
News reports show that buildings in Chengdu  and other major cities were hardly affected by the quake. This is a great achievement on the part of the building controls in big cities.
It is an endorsement of the success of the central government's relentless efforts against corruption.
Building controls in the counties, by comparison, show a strong need for improvement.
Why did so many old multi-storey buildings stand while new multi-storey buildings were  reduced to a heap of rubble? Who built the schools and who was responsible for building controls?  We must ask why some buildings did not have the necessary steel bars. Economic progress in China is impressive. Political reform must follow.
The democratic reform which started in villages more than a decade ago must be given a renewed momentum.
Every government needs a checks and balances system. In his inaugural speech, Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou  quoted Lord Acton,  saying: 'Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.'
With the growing independence of the press, the growing middle class, universities, overseas investors and a more vocal populace, the power balance in big cities is more intricate and more effective. But it is not as effective outside the cities.  There is, therefore, a pressing need  for political reforms in the counties and villages.
Representative government by one man, one vote ensures a better balance of power, better governance and long-term stability.
In the meantime, generous donations and relief efforts must continue.
Sam Chow, Admiralty
Large classes stifle creativity
Creativity is crucial to the development of individuals. It helps us to reflect and challenge traditional principles and build our own ideas and problem-solving skills. Hong Kong students, however, lack creativity.
This is partly due to our exam-oriented education system and  to  large class sizes. Packed teaching schedules and large classes make it difficult for teachers to cater to the special needs of individual students. Students with problems and those who have talent,  can be overlooked in a large classroom.
Education policy should be premised upon the benefits to students, but our current education system is not very effective in helping students develop individuality.
Small-class teaching  can help improve the quality of teaching. There is a pressing need to reduce class sizes in Hong Kong. The education secretary announced a new policy to reduce class sizes from 40 to 36 in secondary schools. This is still too large when compared to other developed countries.
In Japan, the average is 32.7 secondary students to one class. In Britain and the US, the figures are much smaller - 22.1 and 23.6, respectively.
Implementation of full-scale small-class teaching in both primary and secondary schools is costly, but the Hong Kong government has always been generous to the education sector.
Our government should speed up the implementation of small-class teaching so that more students can benefit from it.
Yip Miu-hang, Tseung Kwan O
Small classes more effective
I agree with Charlie Wong Chin-yun's assertion ('Mixed feelings', May 19) that teachers should try to provide our children with environments that foster students' abilities 'to take the initiative in their academic studies through self-learning'.
However, most of the research, as well as my own personal experience in more than 20 years' teaching, indicate that the more children you have in the classroom the more difficult it becomes to teach.
But, you don't need 20 years' teaching experience to understand this.
You need only spend a few hours in a classroom with 20 pupils or less and then spend the same amount of time in a classroom with 30 or more students - the same teacher and the same classroom.
For most people, I believe, this experience would make the 'issue' a no-brainer. Some, of course, would continue to argue that small classes are unnecessary and frivolous - unlike the classic-car collection they are planning on adding to as soon as they can manipulate another juicy tax cut.
Bill Bloodgood, Beijing
Indirect polls still 'universal'
I refer to the report ('Tsang hints Legco trade seats may be retained', May 16).
I have time and again pointed out, in these columns, that universal suffrage can be either in the form of direct elections or indirect elections.
That is why, in Articles 45 and 68 of the Basic Law, only universal suffrage is promised whereas, in Annex II, reference is made to direct elections only in respect of the regional constituency seats.
Once again, if universal suffrage already means equal and universal suffrage, the relevant international conventions would not have said 'equal and universal suffrage'.
Otherwise it would have been tautology.
There is no question of the chief executive toeing the 'Beijing line on suffrage'.
Both he and Beijing are merely facing up to the truth.
Peter Lok, Chai Wan
Peddling a pet cause?
In his letter urging Swire to sponsor a cycle race ('Simple way for Swire to prove its corporate responsibility', May 17),  Robert Maes asks  readers to accept his notions of fairness as some sort of norm to judge the charity activities of companies.
In  my years in Hong Kong I have had many kind acts granted by members of the Swire Group, from free airline tickets for people in need, shipping services for aid shipments and cash for causes.
In full disclosure, I do business with many Swire companies. But I would also like some light shed on Mr Maes' request that Swire now fund a sports event when this started as a complaint about an art show.
Is Mr Maes involved in any way with the cycle race in Hong Kong he is asking Swire to pay into? Is sports promotion part of Mr Maes' business? And why a cycle race?
Earthquake victims, cyclone survivors, disabled artists, young actors, the list never stops. And neither has Swire's giving to so many charitable causes.
Mark Simon, Pok Fu Lam
Race proposal a good idea
I refer  to Robert Maes' letter ('Simple way for Swire to prove its corporate responsibility', May 17), challenging Swire into a good-for-all sponsorship exchange.
I am very keen on seeing the response from Swire. I think it is a great idea.
It seems to me that the effort of Mr Maes' company is an important one in view of his company's size and it should not be a problem for Swire to raise the necessary funds.
The cycling race seems like a very interesting proposal from Mr Maes.
Frank Pauwels, Mid-Levels



Letters