bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Smaller classes  the best answer
 I'm writing in response to the article 'Is smaller better?' (Young Post, October 14). The government has asked schools to reduce the number of classes for Form One students because of declining birth rates. 
Some 150 secondary schools may have to be closed down in five years as they won't be able to meet the required government quota.
 In the circumstances, small-class teaching is the best solution. Then students can have a better relationship with the teacher who can give them more attention.
This system encourages critical thinking and offers more quality feedback which is crucial to learning. Low achievers also have a better chance of improving their academic results.
However, the government says small-class teaching would double the annual expenditure for secondary schools to HK$40 billion.
The government should not think about education in terms of money alone. Education is an investment which will benefit Hong Kong in the long term.
I believe small-class teaching should be launched as soon as possible.
Jaime Yu, Methodist College
Need to cool down property market
 Property prices are soaring and many people cannot afford to buy a flat in Hong Kong. The government should introduce tougher measures to cool down the overheated property market.
It could encourage developers to co-operate with the Urban Renewal Authority to redevelop old buildings in Hong Kong.
 The government could also restart the 'Home Ownership Scheme' so that middle-class families can buy a flat at a lower price. It should think about low-income families, too. Building more public housing estates is one way to help them.
 If the authorities really want a harmonious society, it is time to take action.
Ken Tsoi, SKH Li Fook Hing Secondary School
Call for reforms  in sex education
 The government should co-operate with schools to help students develop a healthy attitude towards sex. In this age of the internet, teenagers are bombarded with all sorts of information about this sensitive subject. They may become confused and have misconceptions about sex.
 Schools should organise a sex education week twice a year. At the moment, many schools have a sex education day twice a year. This is not enough.
Besides talks, there should be lots of activities, such as plays, as well as information booths, to draw students' attention to this important aspect of life.
Schools can also appoint student ambassadors to discuss the topic with their peers under teachers' guidance. This way, sex will no longer be taboo in school.
Gloria Hui, Kit Sam Lam Bing Yim Secondary School
Long-term solution for waste problem
 Many people oppose the government's proposal to expand the Tseung Kwan O landfill into the Clear Water Bay Country Park. The government and legislators have failed to come to an agreement on the issue.
Last month, Environment Secretary Edward Yau Tang-wah announced that the government had decided to postpone the plan to January 1, 2012, to give lawmakers more time to study its implications.
However, the government insisted that a landfill expansion will still be needed. I think this will damage the environment. It also contradicts economic concepts promoted by the government.
 Trees will be cut down and animal habitats destroyed. Residents living nearby are already complaining about the bad smell coming from the landfill. They are worried this will become a trend in future. If the government needs land for a project, it could simply allocate part of a country park for that purpose, they say.
  Officials should play a more important role in promoting the concept of recycling and reusing. This will not only reduce the amount of rubbish we produce but also raise environmental awareness among Hong Kong people.
The public can also help by using less tissue paper and fewer plastic utensils, and reducing water and energy consumption.
Hong Kong needs a long-term plan to deal with its waste problem.
Janice Wan Yu-ching, Our Lady of the Rosary College



lettrers