The following is issued on behalf of the Medical Council of Hong Kong. As administered and run by the Medical Council, the licensing examination is held twice annually and comprises three parts, namely the exam in professional knowledge, the proficiency test in medical English and the clinical exam. There are four disciplines under the clinical exam: medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics. Because of Covid-19, the council had decided to cancel the two licensing exams scheduled for 2020 and the clinical exam scheduled for May this year. Given the need to safeguard public health and safety, and to maintain the normal operation of the licensing exam, the council held the first two parts of the 2021 licensing exams in March and September. The clinical exam for the second sitting of the 2021 licensing examination was held in November. Regarding the quota on the clinical exam, according to the council’s current guidelines, the maximum capacity for each of the four disciplines is 72 candidates per sitting. In the light of the increase in examination time for each candidate brought about by changes to the format of the paediatrics clinical exam and the series of epidemic control measures, the number of seats for the paediatrics clinical exam for the second sitting of the 2021 licensing exam has been adjusted from 72 to 60. Meanwhile, that for each of the other three disciplines remains unchanged. The arrangement for the paediatrics clinical exam applies to the second sitting of the 2021 licensing exam only. The council will consider later on the capacity for next year’s clinical exam. As a general rule, if the number of applicants exceeds the maximum capacity, the council will allocate seats in accordance with the prevailing mechanism, with priority given to those applicants who have passed three subjects in the clinical exam and those who have already taken the clinical exam four times. According to the council’s records, the number of candidates applying to take the clinical exam had never exceeded the maximum capacity until 2019. It was probably because of the cancellation of earlier sittings that there is now unmet demand for seats for the clinical exam. Suzanne Wong, secretary, Medical Council A bit of child labour will be to youngsters’ benefit Complaints about young people who lack common sense are common across the world, including those in Hong Kong. One of the major reasons is the overreliance on domestic workers. Thanks to rising living standards, mothers who want to work have been able to hire domestic workers. At the same time, some parents have become reliant on domestic helpers and excuse their kids from doing any housework. For example, some schoolchildren might have no idea apples are red as their helpers always have their fruits peeled. Keeping children from doing housework is likely out of good intentions, especially in light of a recent survey that indicated children in low-income families who had to do housework felt exhausted. Yet, everything should be in balance. Our older generations, who were taking care of their siblings and housework at a time when employing a domestic helper was a luxury, have been lauded for their perseverance that has contributed to Hong Kong’s prosperity. Doing an appropriate amount of housework would be to children’s benefit. Children who have been pampered could have difficulty fitting in with society as they lack proper communication and life skills. Doing household chores could help alleviate this problem. It will instil in children a sense of responsibility and of having to look after themselves and their family. It will help them acquire basic living skills and be more independent. While students might be busy with their studies, doing housework can train them in time management so they can multitask, an essential survival skill in society. Some housework can be dangerous to young children, especially cooking and retrieving clothes from a clothesline. Parents can arrange for them to do easier tasks first, like folding clothes. They can try more chores when they grow older. Growing up in a comfort zone stifles one’s growth opportunities. The right amount of housework is necessary to nurture an independent adult. The government, meanwhile, should provide more subsidised childcare to minimise the effects of excessive chores on underprivileged children. Alison Ng, Olympic Unity needed to triumph over coronavirus I am writing in response to the article “Coronavirus Hong Kong: Omicron variant must be kept out of community, experts say; city confirms 3 new cases” ( November 28 ). Almost two years after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is frustrating to see some countries still adopting an attitude of burying their heads in the sand. Some countries still believe the virus will disappear as time goes by, while the true picture is that it seems to have grown stronger. The government should of course give more information on the evolving variants, but the most important part is that citizens take responsibility for helping suppress the spread of the virus. Many citizens believe the measures the government has taken are restrictions on personal liberty, but this is no excuse for not cooperating in preventing disease. It is of utmost importance to get vaccinated and wear a face mask if we want to maintain a stable society. Watching the situation with folded arms accomplishes nothing, and it is in the public’s interest that we do everything we can. Only a stable, healthy society can provide a safe environment for businesses and people’s daily lives. Citizens should not be short-sighted but instead focus on the long-term benefits. Be more united so we can win this fight. Terry Chan, Tsuen Wan