Waterfront park far better than campus
The government has announced that a portion of the Cha Kwo Ling harbourfront will be converted into a campus for the Vocational Training Council (VTC). The original plan for the site was to develop it as a park, for public enjoyment and recreation.
Already, this area is getting a bit overcrowded due to the redevelopment of old industrial buildings. Besides increasing the pollution in the area, due to the additional number of vehicles now using the roads, these redevelopments have resulted in poor ventilation and an increase in temperatures due to the “wall effect” caused by a row of glass tower buildings.
The infrastructure in the area is already stretched. As such, a plan to convert a proposed harbourfront park into another white elephant infrastructure project does not make sense.
The VTC is a publicly funded educational institution. Why does it need a prime harbourfront property (one that had been reserved for a park and recreational area) to set up a huge campus? Why is the government not considering spreading the campus around Hong Kong, reusing the various schools which are lying vacant?
When it comes to educational institutions, it is not how good it looks or how good a location it occupies that matters. What really matters is how relevant the syllabus being taught is, how good the teachers dispensing the education are and how convenient it is for students to reach their place of education.