What Do You Think of When You Hear the Word "Beach?"

        Mia T., 7, PLK CKY School

        This word makes me feel like I am going to Thailand’s beach. I feel like I’m picking sea shells. I also feel like I’m swimming in a swimming pool with my father, mother, sister and my helper.

        Michelle L., 7, SSGP 

       I am swimming and I saw some fish, some water snake, prawn, crab and star fish. I catch some of the star fish, crab, prawn, and fish but not the water snake because it is poisonous. It is true that day is very fun but sadly I saw a scary dog barking at me and I jumped on my mom and my mom said to me, “You do not need to be scared. The dog only wants to play with you!”

        Bernice K., 7, St. Paul's Convent School

        Today mum said we could go to the beach and play. We are happy. We plan to go to Big Wave Bay. Once we reach the beach, I made a sandcastle. I decorate it with seashells. There is a moat around it. After I build it, I went to take my seahorse float and went to swim. The ocean is too cold so I get out soon. Mum has prepared some sandwiches. After I have eaten it I went for a stroll on the beach. I found sixteen seashells, one baby crab and a starfish. Then dad plays with a Frisbee. I play with a beach ball. Then we play on the surfboard. Finally it is time to take a shower. Then we went to barbecue. When we got home it was already twelve o’clock. I am very happy today.

Was Mitt Romney’s 47 Percent comment out of Line?

Crystal L., 14, South Island School

  

        Mitt Romney recently made the comment that 47 percent of America are self-pitying freeloaders and think they are entitled to housing and do not pay taxes. there was a lot of backlash against this matter as people in the United States dislike him even more than they did before. Mitt Romney was certainly out of the line when he made this comment as even his father is part of the 47% and if it wasn’t for the hard work of his father, he wouldn’t be standing there making that comment that 47% of the American population isn’t important.

       47% of the American population is either elderly or people who work but do not earn enough to pay tax. Mitt Romney has never experienced financial issues since he was born into a privileged and wealthy lifestyle and didn’t really have to work for anything. He certainly was able to get a room full of rich people who paid 50,000 USD to go to the fundraiser to agree with his statement on the unimportant 47% of America. That just proves his arrogance and selfishness.

       Mitt Romney was also out of line when he implied that 47% of America thinks they are entitled to everything as if they were greedy and spoilt. I think that statement was ironic as he was the one born into a rich family where his father was a governor. Most of the 47% of the United States are only trying to find chances and opportunities to support themselves and their families. They are only trying to survive so when Mitt Romney made that comment it was almost like he was holding their lives against them.

       The speech was really disrespectful and mean and that wasn’t the only time he said something like that. He frequently takes speech out of context. He has taken Obama’s speech about teamwork out of context when he used the quote “You didn’t build that” against him when he started telling companies and organizations that Obama doesn’t think that you built your business and also Obama doesn’t give credit to a student who made the honor roll. I don’t think Obama meant he didn’t give individuals any credit. I think Obama meant that you can’t do anything alone like how Mitt Romney wouldn’t have made it that far without his father. Mitt Romney didn’t build his legacy, his father did and he completely ignored him when making that 47% speech.

       Overall, I don’t think much of America supports Mitt Romney. After his speech there have been a lot of haters and even though it was in private and he had the chance to apologize for it, he continued to back himself up. I think that the speech was so out of line there is no way that anyone would forgive him for saying that and it was certainly no accident. I don’t think he understands the American system because he grew up privileged and he shouldn’t have made that speech.

The Battle Between University Education and Vocational Training:

Vocational training—a more favored option as diplomas are watered down

Jimmy C. 12, RCHK

        One of the most important events of one’s life is the day when you sit down and take the test—the test that determines your career, your future and your status. The competition for entering the best universities and receiving degrees has grown to be more and more intense over the years, as more and more graduates strive for a good career in today’s competitive society. Because of this, more parents are encouraging their children to take on university education, to graduate, and to get a high-paying career. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of graduates, which creates a problem. The growing number of graduates means that the degrees you earn and your diploma will decrease in value. With you graduation certificate becoming worthless, graduates will have a difficult time obtaining a sufficient job. There is a cure: don’t cram yourself into a university, and take on vocational training instead. Vocational training is superior to university education in today’s society because it helps you attain a more stable job, the tuition is cheaper, and vocational training provides a much more focused education.

         Firstly, adapting vocational training will assist you in finding a more stable career. Vocational training provides education and tutoring towards one specified career, such as a hotel servicer or an electrical engineer. Compared to university education, vocational training is much more focused on a career, whereas university education is mainly targeted at subjects such as biology or literature, as well as achievements such as degrees and diplomas. Because vocational training provides education associated with a specific career as well as real life situations, vocational training can provide many advantages that university education does not. One of these includes work experience. If you study a specific career, chances are you are more familiar with the procedures and the details of that career than if you study at university. This will help you get a more stable job as employers today look for employees with high standards and work experience. On the other hand, graduates will have a hard time searching for a career, as diplomas are too common. Graduates will also have to spend more time adapting to the career that they wish to do, as this is not included in the university curriculum. Another advantage that vocational training offers is the students learn actual skills that they would need to master in order for them to develop in a certain career. Again, this is not included in the process of university education. For example, a university student that studies English might wish to become an elementary teacher. However, the student might have mastered the knowledge of English, but they lack the skills that are required to tutor children. This advantage of learning skills for the career through vocational education is also a bonus to help you find a stable job.

         A second reason is that vocational training is dramatically less expensive compared to university education in terms of tuition fees. The major reason why university education is significantly more expensive than vocational education is because universities are not only just places that provide education like schools; universities also act as research centers as well as other facilities. Students, through tuition fees, provide much of the financial support that is required to conduct these facilities and research centers. Being able to save money throughout the duration of education is very useful as you can make use of the money wisely to help you develop your future career. The money that you can save by adapting vocational education can also be used for life savings in case of an emergency. For the past few years, the cost for university education ahs rapidly risen by 6.5%, a massive increase that has caused financial difficulties for many university students. Considering the expensive cost for university education, it would be good to choose vocational training. Choosing vocational training also help you avoid entering into debt since the tuition is less expensive. In contrast, two-thirds of all graduates leaving university also take a massive debt with them, with the average debt up to $23,000 US dollars, or equivalent to $178,392 Hong Kong Dollars.

         Furthermore, vocational training provides a more focused education on a certain career compared to university education, which teaches a wide range of subjects. Because of this focused education, vocational training lets you focus on developing and advancing on your dream career. Students who adapt vocational education are more likely to be committed and determined towards a single career, as they have the skills and the experience derived from the “focused” style of education that employers are looking for. In fact, a survey revealed that 62% of young teenagers in the United Kingdom know what occupation they wish to be. “With a vocational qualification, you’re more likely to be able to start working sooner, giving you the experience you need to back up what you’re learning,” comments Dick Winterton, the managing director of City & Guilds Awards. In contrast, university education graduates will not be as devoted towards a specific career as vocational training students do. This is partially because the knowledge university graduates will get them a range of similar jobs, which gives them a hard time deciding which job to settle on. This is also partially because, as mentioned before, diplomas and degrees are decreasing in worth and value. Despite providing work experience and skills for the occupation, vocational training also does a better job in letting students understand how the society works in order to become successful in the future.

         To sum up, vocational training is a great alternative for young people who have strong determination for a career. Vocational training is less expensive; more focused compared to university education, and will guarantee a more stable job. After all, Bill Gates never took on university, yet he still became one of the richest people in the world!

Should Schools Have Debentures at All?

Adrian T., 13, GSIS

        Recently, ESF have increased the amount of debentures to a staggering HKD $500,000. This debenture is a non-refundable amount in which a well-to-do parent will pay the school in order to secure a place for their child in the school should they meet the admission requirements of the school. This move by ESF has been criticized for favoring the rich over the poor and will take away places for less-well-off families. ESF schools are subsidized by the government to provide an alternative for those who do not want to go to local schools (or cannot because of the lack of Cantonese skills), and cannot afford the school fees offered by the international schools. If ESF schools implement this system, they may be in danger of having their government subsidies taken away from them and forced to go private, in which it would raise the school fees and directly affect less wealthy families. Although this system may help raise money for repairing and renovating ESF schools, they are sending the wrong signal to those who want to go to ESF schools. This brings up a very good point that is ripe for debate: Should schools have a debenture system? In my opinion, I think that schools should not have a debenture system, as education and school placement should not involve money except for school fees.

        Education is a right that everybody is entitled to. Every child, no matter rich or poor, should be allowed to have a decent education in order to give them a fair start to life. Education should not be associated with a monetary value, and schools should choose students according their skills and abilities, not according to whether they can pay or not. Education is not a market; it is a place where a child can learn so that they can be better equipped to be a fruitful member of our society. If we put the buying power of their parents, something they have no choice over, then we would be throwing away our society’s cherished values of fairness and equality. This would then send a very adverse and strong message to the people of Hong Kong: Education can be bought, and money is the leading factor when applying for a school. This is not the message we want to send to parents in Hong Kong and the people that will potentially immigrate to Hong Kong. This will in turn undermine Hong Kong’s moral values and create a bad impression for Hong Kong.

        Having a debenture will also potentially affect a close-knit school community. Let’s say some people come into a school because of the newly implemented debenture policy. The people who come into this school will therefore be less qualified but have super rich parents. If the school community is less well-off, then they will not be able to integrate into the school community because they are inferior to the others because they are relatively richer than the other students are. They may also look down on others for being not as rich, or the others may exclude them for being richer than they are. This would create a whole bunch of problems for the community and the pros will outweigh the cons. In addition, the rich kids that came into this school because of this debenture system may not be as smart and so they may lower the school’s standard.

        Some people say that the implementing of a debenture system will help ease the burden of the other parents as they will not have to pay too many school fees due to the revenue generated from the debentures. However, I disagree. There are so many other risks and controversial free ways to get more money for the school such as applying for government subsidies, asking more well of parents to donate some money, starting a fundraiser, etc. These methods are much more effective than having to implement a debenture system that will put the school’s reputation, standard, and society’s values at risk.

Idioms...Literally

Nicole C., 9, FIS

Write about the idiom “When pigs fly…”

Pigs are flying with all their might. I’m watching it with my mouth open. The dogs are barking at the pigs. Then, one of the pigs falls down on my head, thean another falls onto my mom’s head. “Bacon for tonight!” screamed my mom.

Write about the idioms “Keep an eye on it” and “Lend me your ears.”

Often my mom tells me to “keep an eye on it” or “lend me your ears.” I mean, how can I chop off my ears and give it to her? How can I peel my eyes off and put them on my book?

Write about the idiom “Don’t cry over spilt milk!”

I didn’t win the dance competition, so I was really upset, but my mom reminded me, “Don’t cry over spilt milk!” Then someone dropped their cup and milk started spilling out! I immediately stopped crying!

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Markandaya K., 8, RCHK

Write about the idiom “I’m on top of the world!”

I’m standing on top of the world in the Arctic. Pink dolphins greet me by shaking my hand. They make a tower of dolphins. I climb up. I am standing on top of the world.

      

      Write about the idiom “It's raining cats and dogs.”

      It's raining cats and dogs. Cats are meowing and dogs are barking. I can't stand the noise so I go out and use my teleporter to send the dogs and cats to the ocean. Ahhh. Peace and quiet. Suddenly, it rains fishes and sharks! I do the same things with the animals. After that it rains elephants and ducks! I have enough of it so I try and be brave. It  was just a dream.

The Importance of Standing

Jared C., 14, HKIS

        There are many cases across the globe of excessive sitting affecting the life span of people. When people sit down too much, their metabolism slows down, their insulin becomes less effective and the probability of catching type 2 diabetes rises. This is exactly why offices should be redesigned to allow less sitting and encourage more standing. It is possible to redesign the offices in such a way that people will not be standing for the entire day and still cut down the amount of hours they spend sitting during working hours. Redesigning the offices in this way can be done by changing all the desks in the office into standing desks and moving supplies further away from the workspace to encourage more walking. For those who want to sit occasionally, they can provide high chairs for the standing desks.

         Replacing all the desks with standing desks is very good for a person’s health as standing desks allow more mobility. They allow you to move around to get things needed to finish the work. These desks are good because sitting down reduces the effectiveness of the insulin in a human and raises the chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Standing, on the other hand, lets the person move around therefore tripling his or her calorie burning rate and maintaining his or her metabolic health. Since standing up is such a good thing health-wise, it should be encouraged wherever a person goes.

         The next thing that could be done is to move supplies further away from the workspace. This encourages more walking. Research shows that the people who do not gain too much weight are the people who do little things like take the stairs, walk down the hall to get office supplies, or simply like to fidget. This means that people will not gain too much weight even if they do not exercise and tend to eat large portions of food. Seeing that walking around gives even more health benefits, and office should be rearranged to promote more walking around.

       Even though there is an uncountable amount of health benefits that can come from moving around and walking a little bit more, people still cannot be standing up for th entire day. So, something that can be implemented into the redesigning of the office is tall chairs. The time spent sitting on these chairs must be limited or the redesigning idea of the office will simply backfire but standing up too much will cause other problems too. Obviously, there has to be a balance between sitting down and standing up in the office, so having tall chairs in the office is not necessarily a bad idea.

         To conclude, the countless health benefits are too large to ignore by not taking any action. On the other hand, there also must be a balance between the amount of time spent sitting down and the amount of time spent standing up, so tall chairs are also a good idea.

Should Students Receive Awards for Doing Well?

Kyle H., 10, SPCCPS

       Students shouldn’t receive awards for school performance because students will start to expect more rewards. If parents start giving rewards, it will not put the focus on learning and the kids will be spoiled.

        If parents start to give awards to students, they may work harder. however, if they start getting awards for a long time, they may think that they don’t need to work hard to get awards and will also expect to get even more awards.

        Secondly, if parents give awards, students will start to focus on thinking how to earn gifts or earn money more than focusing on studying or learning new things that are useful when students grow bigger as grown ups.

        Lastly, students would be spoiled! They won’t study hard after getting so many awards and gifts by parents and will think that it is enough for them and think that it doesn’t matter if they have awards or not and will be as lazy as pigs!

        In conclusion, giving awards to students may make them study hard, but after some time, students will be lazy and wil not be eager to work, study properly and care about good grades.

Good Jobs

Crystal L, 12, SIS

        The most important things to consider when pursuing a job is whether it is enjoyable, if there is a good boss, and the amount of money you make. Considering whether the job is enjoyable or not is important because most of your life would be spent at work, and if work is not enjoyable then the person’s life would not be as meaningful as well. Whether the person has a good boss or not needs to be considered as well because it will contribute to their happiness. Last but not least, the amount of money that person earns needs to be considered because that’s’ the main point of working: to earn money.

        Firstly, whether the job makes the person happy needs to be considered because that person would be spending most of their life at work, so even their life out of work would be affected. If the person is unhappy, it would lead to depression, stress, and even an early death. She or he might also want to have a job because that person is passionate about it. Even the work hours or location might not matter to the person anymore because of how much she or he likes the job, and that they look forward to going to work every day. It would also be best for the person if she or he is being paid for something they love to do.

        Next, whether you have a good boss or not needs to be considered because it would affect your happiness. Work colleagues also count because you will need to build relationships and respect the people the person works with so that the boss and colleagues will respect them back. The people the employee works with will also affect their work quality. Since work is one of the best places to make new friends, it would be hard ignoring them all day if the employee is not able to work with them. She or he would not be able to gain any new friends from work as well and might be blacklisted through the whole company.

        Thirdly, the amount of money needs to be considered because that is the main reason for the person to go to work. The person would need to think about whether they have enough money to pay rent, support your family, save, and buy food. The location also needs to be considered because if the person is spending too much money on transport then it would affect their lives as well. If the person is not able to pay rent or buy food because of their lack of money, there would be no reason for them to stay working at that place.

        The most important things to consider when pursuing a job is whether it is enjoyable or not, if the person has a good boss or work colleagues, and the amount of money you earn. Whether or not it is enjoyable affects the employee, it would affect their life a lot. Next is whether the person has a good boss or work colleagues because it contributes to their happiness and affects their work quality. Last but not least the amount of money has to be considered because it is one of the main points of working. Salary, how good the boss is, and whether it makes the person happy are important things to consider when pursuing a job.

Tick tock tick tock tick tick

Karam Y., 12 , GSIS

Tick tock tick tock tick tick. Mrs. Simonson stared balefully at the clock. Why did time seem to go by so quickly? She sunk into a reverie. In the good old days........She saw herself as a child of four or six giggling happily with her friends, pigtails flying in the wind. She saw herself at the desk, her head drooped down trying to solve a hard problem. She saw herself graduating. Diploma in hand, grinning proudly at her parents. Then she saw dear Mr. Simonson's face, smiling at her. She saw her two children reaching out for her and laughing when she scooped them both up.

After that came the years of sadness and pain. She saw herself waving goodbye to her children. She saw herself dressed in black weeping over the freshly dug grave in which her poor son lay. She remembered the lonely times, with only Mr. Simonson for company, feeling so lonely. She remembered the Christmas when she had sat on the porch waiting for nearly a whole day for the daughter who never came. She remembered the recent years. Returning to the house and finding Mr. Simonson sprawled on the floor, barely breathing. She remembered the long hours she spent chewing her fingernails and praying to God to spare her husband. All in vain.

Mrs. Simonson woke up with a sudden jolt. A tear glistened on her cheek. She stared at the empty old house, half expecting her family to pop out. She sighed and looked down at her hands. They were swollen from arthritis and worn from many years of work. She stared into the mirror and saw her countless wrinkles and snow white hair, her sad grey eyes and her down-turned mouth. It would be her time soon, she thought.

On Family

By Anonymous

Our parents brought us into this world. Since we were born, they have spent hours, nights, and days to train, teach, and build our character. They have given us opportunities and love. Money cannot replace the happy moments we have spent with our family. Our family demands quality, hard work and honesty. This is what motivates me every day. These values are drilled into me and make me who I am.

I am not a perfect person. I am not the smartest. I am not the strongest. I have made mistakes. I am very grateful to everyone in my family for trying to guide and shape me into a better person. My parents have always demanded that I work hard and give my all in everything.

I have spent so much time with my family. Through thick and thin my family have always given me support and pride. I try my best to make my family proud. The endless investment in me can never ever be repaid. The only way to repay my parents is to show love, work hard and achieve my best.

I owe my parents a huge debt. They have been patient, willing and have sacrificed a lot to train me. My parents have always cared a lot about my academic studies. They have shown a huge interest and have guided me. My parents are big believers that education is the only way to success. They always tell me to do what they do and learn their strengths and better myself. Without my parents, I would not be able to meet new people, own fancy gadgets, have food, shelter and most importantly love. Without my family I don’t know what I’d be like. I come from an amazing family and am so thankful for what they have done.

Sometimes my parents nag, but they do it because they care. It makes me want to prove them wrong. I may not always be appreciative but I cannot emphasize the debt I owe and how grateful I am to my family.

My parents always work their butt off for me. They have made sacrifices. They go to work and I spend time with my grandparents. My grandparents are all happy individuals. I share endless memories with them. My grandpa on my dad’s side always spoiled me, played with me until he was sick. I miss the times when I was a kid and every holiday I would be so excited to see him. He taught me to enjoy life to its fullest. I was very devastated to lose him recently. Losing a family member makes you appreciate the things that money cannot buy. On my mom’s side my grandpa taught me how to study and about core values. I love spending time with my family. My grandmums would always cook delicious food and spend time together with my granddads. At this point in time I treasure my grandparents a lot. Losing my granddad made me appreciate every second I spend with my grandparents. One day our parents will have time gone. Therefore it’s equally important to be grateful to them when they train and spend time with us.

        My family have loved me deeply. I want to treasure every moment with them. I do not want to take them for granted because one day they will be gone. I love my family a lot.