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Extra year a waste for some pupils
I have been teaching English (not on the native English-speaking teacher scheme) at a lower-band school in Hong Kong for 12 years. 
Unfortunately, the new 3+3+4 system is now beginning to bear fruit. That fruit is wasted opportunity and wasted time. 
The reality of the situation in a classroom of 40-plus  pupils is that some are academically unable and some are not interested.
The assertion in your (How We See it) editorial  that the new system 'makes sense' ('Exodus over exams is overreaction', November 2) is not correct.
The system only makes sense if we  look at secondary education in Hong Kong as being solely a route to university. 
 Pupils who are not academically able or not academically interested are forced to waste an additional year (largely spent in learning how to do exams) in secondary school instead of being encouraged to join the workforce or to undertake practical/vocational training courses.
 Honest communication with ordinary secondary  teachers, not elite-school teachers or university dons, at an earlier stage could have led to a more valuable (for the bulk of the  pupils) system being implemented. 
Universities themselves are being disingenuous in their support for this 'one public exam system'. 
In the past, undergraduates would study for three years at university before taking one set of exams in their final year. The result was that some students were left with nothing.
I fear that many of our secondary school  pupils will now be left with nothing but a profound sense of frustration at spending an additional year doing something they cannot or do not like doing.
Matthew Bond, Lantau
Two ways  to reduce smoking
I find it alarming that so many people in Hong Kong are addicted to tobacco.
 They can be helped to kick the habit through education.
The Education Bureau  could offer talks and workshops to  pupils, as teenagers are immature and many find it difficult to resist the temptation to start smoking.
 They need to understand that the adverse health consequences can be irreversible. More adverts on television could put across the importance of  quitting.
I would also like to see the government imposing an import quota for cigarettes. 
If restrictions were imposed, and this reduced the number of cigarettes available in Hong Kong,  prices would rise. Some smokers would be unwilling to pay the higher price per packet and might be persuaded to try  to give up the habit.
I think that with this two-pronged approach, education and legislation, we  could move closer to a smoke-free environment in Hong Kong.
Elton Ko, Ma On Shan
Pricing of Sixes tickets not cricket
The KARP Group Cricket Sixes last weekend should have been a pleasant exhibition event that would generate more interest in the sport. 
Kowloon Cricket Club was the perfect venue, where spectators could interact with the players.  I have taken my family to the Sixes many times over the years and always had a great day out.
This year, however, it seems that greed  triumphed over common sense. I usually attend the Saturday session with my two young sons  - three to four hours on a glorious Saturday afternoon enjoying a fast-paced and good-natured version of the game. 
The cost, including buying some merchandise, while not cheap, was  affordable. 
This year, a decision was made  not to sell one-day tickets. You had to buy a two-day pass, HK$800 for an adult ticket and HK$380 for a child.  Many families and newcomers to the sport would not want to make a two-day commitment.  
A one-day pass should have been available at a lower price.  
The Hong Kong Cricket Association should realise that this event is not the Rugby Sevens.  There is not a large overseas contingent that flies in specifically for the event, and the game itself is not part of a larger series or tournament. I know this event has struggled in the past with sponsors, and I would imagine that those associated with the Sixes would want as many people to enjoy themselves as possible. 
In the end, we decided the price was too much for the three to four hours we had planned to attend, so we skipped it altogether. I know there were several others with the same feelings, and all I can say to the organisers is that this pricing policy is just not cricket. 
Jon George, Sai Kung
Local artists need more support
Many artists working in factories  that have been converted into studios face significant rent increases because of inflation and the introduction of the statutory minimum wage.
 The art industry in Hong Kong is still at an early stage of development. Many artists in the city face financial problems and do not earn enough to meet their needs. For some of them, these rent rises will make it impossible for them to continue to work in these studios.  
 If they are having to think of ways to fork out the rent increase, they will not be able to concentrate on their work. 
Many Hongkongers probably look down on local artists, seeing them as impractical and lazy dreamers. They may not be successful in a commercial sense, but they deserve our respect and appreciation.  
 The Hong Kong government has neglected art development. It has failed to support and promote local artists.  
The West Kowloon Cultural District  project is a step forward.  But many other measures should be adopted by the administration. Local artists should be offered allowances, and there should be designated open areas where they can show their work for free. 
They should be allowed to work in studios where they are charged an affordable rent.   
 Cities like Paris and New York have a very open attitude and have created an artistic atmosphere. Hong Kong still has a long way to go but can learn from them.  
Jessie Wong Man-yee, Tsing Yi
Find other sources  of water
Your editorial ('Raise charges to cut water waste', October 29) called for the government to raise the water tariff in Hong Kong. 
 The hope is that the higher price will discourage people from wasting water. But the greatest waste  is caused by the lack of political will to switch to a new source of potable water.
Singapore's  scheme to recycle used water into drinkable water began more than three decades ago.  Now, 30 per cent  of its water consumption  comes from its recycled NEWater. 
Hong Kong simply buys more water from the mainland, and the cost of this supply from Guangdong keeps going up, as  the city is in a weak bargaining position.  
Throughout the world, water is becoming a scarce resource. It is high time that Hong Kong acted as a responsible global citizen and found a new source  of potable water. If we did this, some of the water we purchase from  Guangdong could  go to other cities in southern China.  
 Competition for Guangdong water would be less intense, so it could be sold more cheaply. In the end, all users would benefit.  
 I understand that there is a stigma attached to reclaimed water, and it will be difficult to overcome the prejudices of Hong Kong people. However, the campaign aimed at reducing the number of plastic shopping bags  that people use has proved  it is possible to change mindsets for the common good. 
 In the interest of sustainable development, the government needs to act responsibly and aim for a more sustainable water source.  
Leung Ka-kit, Yau Tsim Mong
Wife and son are entitled  to pension
In the 1950s, civil servants contributed 4 per cent of their salary to a mandatory widows and orphans pension scheme. 
They felt comfortable  that when they passed away, their wife and children, if any, would get a pension. 
This was clearly stated in the relevant ordinance.  
I  checked with the Treasury to find  out how much my wife and son would get when I pass away, and  the department informed me they will get nothing - even though I paid into this fund for 20 years. 
The reason was that after I retired, I got divorced and remarried, so they  are not entitled to the pension. Nowhere in the relevant ordinance does it say this.
I should think hundreds of civil servant pensioners are affected by this decision.
It clearly indicates that the government does not know what it is doing or where it is going.
John Fleming, Sheung Shui



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