Letters | Hong Kong DSE students should not see radio use as a hurdle to success
- Even if they are outdated, radios are not so complicated that students should be unable to figure them out
I understand that teenagers today do not use portable radios; rather, they listen to the radio channels via mobile phone apps or online webpages. But these students, most of whom were born in the era of technology, should not find it difficult learning how to use a radio. Tuning a radio to the correct channel for the listening tests is a piece of cake.
Candidates sitting the public examinations should take the initiative by familiarising themselves with test procedures, and checking the use of the radio is definitely one of them.
I welcome the infrared transmission system to be installed in more examination venues. Yet we should not forget its initial and maintenance costs. Other measures, such as internet broadcasting, may bring about issues such as the leakage of the exam paper or internet connection problems. Using the radio seems to be the most feasible way to conduct the examination.
Candidates for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education face tremendous pressure, but I hope that they will not feel more agitated just because of this minor radio issue.
Curtis Ho Seung-kwok, Tsuen Wan
Don’t force students to use radios just for the DSE
I agree with students protesting against the need to buy an instrument they do not use, just so they can sit the DSE. Most of us, even the elderly, use mobile phone apps, such as Hong Kong Toolbar, for listening to the radio. So, it is not strange that our students do not use an old-fashioned transistor radio.
Also, there are some drawbacks to using transistor radios for exams, such as frequency and connection issues, which may affect the sound quality of the examination materials for the candidates.
The school hall of every school has installed a sophisticated public address system. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) may save the examination materials on a CD or USB. The school’s support staff could then play the CD or USB in the hall and the candidates may listen to the examination materials clearly without using earsets and the transistor radio.
Alternatively, HKEAA may save the listening materials on a server and the chief supervisor may access the server via a computer, then play the examination materials through the computer and the public address system. This would save students the trouble of needing to buy an instrument they will not use in their daily lives.
Felix Mak, Kowloon Bay
