Islam is about mercy, not murder The attack by the Taliban movement of Pakistan on a school in the city of Peshawar, which killed 132 students and nine staff, was a brutal act. How can it be attributed to a religion which places emphasis on mercy and justice even with an enemy? We all are in grief and sadness over the loss of these children. Every child, irrespective of ethnic or religious background, is an asset for the future and they deserve our kindness and love. Parents have hopes for the future prospects of their children. So many parents in Peshawar were waiting for the return of their loved ones, hoping to enjoy lunch together, or thinking about a family holiday this winter. They waited to greet their children and instead must identify their bodies. They must now be asking for what crime were these young people murdered. Is it a crime to attend school, is it a crime to get an education? The Islamic community in Hong Kong condemns in the strongest possible terms this inhuman act and expresses its solidarity with the parents of these students and with the government of Pakistan. We urge support from the international community for Pakistan in its fight against these terrorists who defame the name of Islam. Muhammad Arshad, Chief Imam Hong Kong We must keep Chinese festivals alive In Hong Kong, people's attitudes to festivals have undergone changes. Many of them celebrate Western festivals in preference to traditional Chinese festivals. You can see this phenomenon at this time of the year, with shopping malls full of Christmas decorations. Shops have their displays ready a month before Christmas. It is the same with other Western festivals such as Easter and Halloween. Many people nowadays pay more attention to these festivals and neglect their own culture. We are Chinese and we should be embracing our traditions. Why do we become subservient to foreign things and focus more on Western festivals? I think this is probably an effect of globalisation. After the second world war, the influence of Western countries spread throughout the world and it brought changes to Asia. A lot of these festivals have become commercialised and are exploited by businesses wanting to make money from customers, especially at Christmas. We seem to have forgotten their original meaning. Hongkongers need to pay more attention to our traditional festivals, such as Ching Ming, where we commemorate our ancestors. We can ensure that their importance and the real meaning behind them are passed down to our children and grandchildren. Traditional Chinese festivals can teach us a lesson. They should not just be an occasion for businesses to make money. We need to retain and recognise their real value. Polly Lo Ching-in, Yau Yat Chuen Room for improvement in schools I refer to the article by Lam Woon-kwong, convenor of the Executive Council ("We can take pride in our students and learn from them", December 12). Mr Lam talked about those who claim our education system has failed, which has led to some parents sending their children overseas to study. I think there are positive aspects to the education system here and it is not as bad as some people think. Hong Kong is after all an international city and so children can acquire a global perspective. People come from all over the world to study at our universities. There are areas where it can be improved, such as helping students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. If young people can learn to think for themselves and apply these skills to the workplace, Hong Kong can become more competitive. Chan Wai-chi, Tseung Kwan O Give integrated education more support Integrated education allows students from diverse backgrounds (for example, those with a disability or from an ethnic minority) to study in regular classes. However, it has not been as widespread as it should be in Hong Kong. This type of education benefits students as it represents society in miniature. It helps them to get along with other young people from different walks of life. This means, for example, that being in a classroom with special needs pupils, young people will grow up more willing to accept and help people in need. The government has to provide subsidies so that schools can make the necessary changes for the introduction of integrated education, such as providing barrier-free facilities. The money can also be used to train teachers so they know how to work effectively in a classroom where an integrated education system is in place. Helen Lau, Kowloon Tong Unwise to tamper with liberal studies I am opposed to proposals to remove some topics from the curriculum of liberal studies and I am sure most secondary teachers and students share my view. I have studied this subject and feel it has benefited Hong Kong students. With liberal studies, there is no rote learning. Students think about a lot of issues and are encouraged to express their own views. In the past in Hong Kong's education system, students would accept everything they read and were too shy to share their opinions. Thanks to liberal studies, this is no longer the case. Young people have been able to broaden their minds and are now more conscious of what is happening in society. This is a crucial time politically in Hong Kong and changing topics in the liberal studies will prove to be very controversial. Restricting the political content would not be a good idea. Hong Kong students no longer want a spoon-feeding education system. If officials decide to remove some content from the liberal studies curriculum, while they may be able to make these changes, they cannot change the minds of Hong Kong students or the knowledge they have already acquired. I hope the Hong Kong and central governments can appreciate the benefits of this subject in our schools and how in so many different ways it has benefited students. The SAR administration must think very carefully before backing any changes to the curriculum. Kelly Lee On-ting, Tsing Yi Curriculum changes will aid students The proposal to make some changes to the liberal studies curriculum has proved controversial and the public consultation process is now under way. It is part of a mid-term review of the new academic structure for senior secondary education. The proposals on liberal studies are proving controversial because it is expected that some political content will be removed. Some teachers have accused officials of being politically motivated. The six modules in liberal studies are wide-ranging. There are no recognised types of answers or questions, with emphasis placed on critical thinking. The enormous syllabus and the difficult nature of the exam put a lot of pressure on students and teachers. Making some cuts to the curriculum can help minimise the stress. It can also reduce teachers' workload. Teachers have to organise extra lessons during summer holidays in order to finish discussing all the topics and help students with examination skills such as time management. A revised syllabus will mean less discussion themes and fewer practice papers will be needed. With merged content, students will have better quality material to read providing more in-depth analysis. I think they will benefit from the proposed changes. Critics of the proposals say officials are politically motivated, but I would disagree. Politically sensitive issues such as the Occupy movement and civil disobedience will still be part of the revised syllabus. The environmental and political problems on the mainland will not be taken out. Other significant discussion themes about the rule of law and socio-political participation will stay. I do not think there is any political motivation behind the proposals and I hope they are implemented. Shirley Kwok Wing-shuen,Tsuen Wan Teenagers' skewed values are a worry The value judgment of teenagers can be distorted when they purchase smartphones. In September, Apple stores launched the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Some teenagers queued for long periods just to purchase the new models. This is what I mean by distorted value judgment. These teens decided that they had to have the latest device. They think the newest model and the most expensive one must be purchased. However, this is a problem if they come from a low-income family. Some youngsters may resort to crime so they can afford the new smartphone. I think this distortion of values is a cause for concern. Kassandra Hui Wing-yan, Tseung Kwan O
