Varsity March 2011 – Editor’s Note

March 21, 2011

Beyond Education

March is the month of exams. Form seven students struggling with the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination are not alone. Primary six students also have to take a school exam which will, to a large extent, determine which secondary schools they will enter.

Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools receive government subsidies but unlike aided schools, they are also allowed to charge fees. So they have more resources to provide better facilities and learning environments. It is no surprise that many parents find DSS schools particularly attractive. In Periscope this issue, Varsity take a closer look at DSS schools.

The DSS aims to widen the choice of schools. But their fees may be an obstacle to poor students. On the other hand, although DSS schools have more resources, does it mean that they necessarily provide better education?

While some parents want their children to get into DSS schools, the parents of ‘gifted’ children worry about the lack of resources available for developing their children’s talents. In the Our Community section, we look at gifted education in Hong Kong.

The government plans to spend about HK$4 billion on education in the next fiscal year. But we do not just need money, we need an education system that can provide equal access to quality education and nurture our potential.

Phoebe Man
Editor-in-Chief

Weighing Cost and Quality

March 21, 2011

DSS schools receive subsidies and charge fees but are they good value for money?

Reporters: Joana U Hoi Teng, Gavin Li Chi Wai

The best primary school, the best secondary school and the best university – these are the things all parents want for their children. Since 1991, Hong Kong’s parents have been able to choose from more than just government and aided schools for their children’s education.

The Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) was introduced in that year with the objective of promoting excellence and injecting diversity into the local school system through the development of a strong subsidized private school sector. The rationale was that this would give parents and children more choice.

Schools in the scheme are given subsidies from the government for every child they enrol. But unlike government schools, they can also charge tuition fees and receive funding from other sources, such as donations.

In return for the government funding, the schools are monitored by the Education Bureau (EDB). The Bureau is supposed to make sure the schools comply with stated admission requirements and agreements, conduct quality assurance, vet the schools’ audited accounts and issue guidelines. Authorities will also carry out investigations if there are complaints against the schools.

On the face of it, it seems this monitoring system is comprehensive. So, are DSS schools really better choices for parents?

Lam Kin-wah’s response is affirmative. “Basically, the quality of DSS schools is undoubted,” says the chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council (DSSSC), who is also the principal of the Fukien Secondary School.

Lam says DSS schools have more flexibility in their operations and curriculum and can offer higher quality education because of their extra resources. Using his own school as an example, he says it has offered both English as medium of instruction (EMI) and Chinese as medium of instruction (CMI) classes since early in 2000. Aided secondary schools just resumed EMI classes in 2009. If parents want their children to study in an EMI class, DSS schools would be a choice for them.

Another advantage, says Lam, is that DSS schools carry out small-class teaching, whereas this policy has only been implemented in aided primary schools. “You can see that the class size of DSS schools is smaller than aided schools. That is why parents prefer DSS schools,” Lam explains.

This is borne out by Iris Wong Wai-ling, whose two children went to DSS schools. Wong says her children got more attention from their teachers because there were only around 30 students in their classes. “You can easily approach their class teachers and they will remember who your children are. They will not treat you as passersby,” Wong says. She also believes DSS schools have the flexibility to recruit more teachers to improve their teaching quality.

For Wong, a measure of the quality of DSS schools is their ability to recruit good students. “I quite believe that input will affect output,” Wong says. “If schools admit good students, it is unlikely that their performance will worsen in five years time.”

But not all parents are as positive about the quality of DSS schools as Wong is. Mrs. Cheung, whose son graduated from Logos Academy in Tsang Kwan O in 2009, was not satisfied with the school.

Cheung, who refused to reveal her full name, paid $20,000 in tuition fees per year, an amount she found unreasonable. “The school charges such a big amount, but I think it is worse than other ordinary schools. I really do not know where the school fee goes,” she says.

Making Sweet Fruit Music

March 21, 2011

Hong Kong contemporary musicians experiment with fruit and vegetable instruments

Reporter: Krizto Chan Ho Ying

William Lane drills vertically through a carrot, starting from its tip. Then, after boring three 2mm-holes into it, he puts the carrot to his mouth. Not to eat it – but to blow it.

What comes out of the ‘refined’ carrot is a sound resembling that of a clarinet. “The only difference between a carrot and a clarinet is that a carrot only lasts for two days, before it moulds,” says Lane, artistic director of Hong Kong New Music Ensemble (HKNME) and a professional violist.

The HKNME formed a Fruit and Vegetables Orchestra comprising seven musicians last year, devoted to performing the ‘fruit music’ on organic instruments.

The carrot clarinet is only one among the many musical instruments made from fruit and vegetables that the Orchestra plays. Watermelon drums, eggplant clappers, and peanut maracas all featured in the Orchestra’s debut concert at k-11 art mall in Tsim Sha Tsui last September. Since then, the Orchestra has staged four more public performances.

The idea of exploring various dimensions of sound using fruits and vegetables originates from the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra founded in 1998.

“They (the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra) have been setting an example for making strange sounds, from whatever they can find,” says Lane, “and they would add electronics and cut the vegetables on stage, which is part of the performance, it is quite exciting.”

Lane gets his inspiration from constant experimentation and YouTube fruit music enthusiasts. For instance, there is a Japanese Youtuber heita3, who avidly showcases how to make music from a wide selection of fruits and vegetables.

One of the most interesting sounds Lane has come across is made by scraping celery. “You can scrape that [celery] very slowly, then put a microphone really close, then you would get this ssssss [hissing] sound. Like scratching a disc,” explains Lane.

Watch That Adds Value

March 21, 2011

Beats Octopus Watch is timepiece, Octopus card and photo-album rolled into one

Reporter: Stephanie Chan Tsz King

Imagine you are holding a bag of shopping in your right hand and a cup of coffee in the other, while waiting for a bus during rush hour. When the bus comes, you do not have a spare hand to dig your Octopus card out from your shoulder bag. You are stuck at the bus door with a long and impatient queue standing behind you.

If you have ever been frustrated by scenes like the one above, the Beats Octopus Watch could be the solution to making your life on public transport easier.

The Beats Octopus Watch is a trendy looking timepiece made from high quality polyurethane and ABS plastic. It is waterproof and boasts a 1.5” digital color panel.

You can make payments on major public transport systems including the MTR, bus, tram and ferry services, as well as over 2500 retailers by simply waving your wrist and “touching” the Beasts Octopus Watch to the sensor.

With this licensed Octopus product, which is certified and authorized by Octopus Cards Limited through a strict quality control process, you can easily recharge your watch. You can even enjoy automatic value adding service by linking the watch to your credit card, just like with normal Octopus cards. The one drawback is you cannot use the self-service add value machines for cards at MTR stations.

But the Beats Octopus Watch is more than just a watch and an Octopus card. You can also import your personalized photos through a USB port and store up to 60 pictures that can be automatically or manually displayed as customized wallpapers or messages on the digital panel. The watch interface can show the time in different colors and either digital or analog clock format.

When you press the time display key, images can be randomly displayed as the background to refresh your mind during the madness and stress of the day. The Beats Octopus Watch also comes with some built-in messages and phrases such as “I Love You”, “I Miss You” and “Happy Birthday”.

The Beats Octopus Watch comes in five colors (black, white, pink, indigo and dark purple) so that you can pick the one that best matches your personality. It provides a vibrating alarm function as well as dual time function. You can show off you sense of style with this watch while you enjoy the convenience of using it when you commute or shop.

The Beats Octopus watch is now available in some watch retailers such as Focus Shop, Champion Watch, and Circle. Such style and convenience doesn’t come cheap though, it retails for HK$680 with a stored value of HK$10. For more information, please visit http://www.beats.com.hk

Szeto Wah’s Long March

January 6, 2011

From Varsity May 2010

Reporter: Margaret Ng Yee-man, Photos: Nicole Pun

Democratic stalwart, dedicated educator, proud patriot – these are all terms that can be used to describe Szeto Wah, known affectionately as Wah Suk or Uncle Wah.

At 79, and with late stage lung cancer, Szeto has had to slow down in recent months. But he is attacking the disease with the same determination he has shown to the causes he has championed in public life.

At the time of Varsity’s visit, Szeto had started his fourth chemotherapy course. He still keeps up a daily exercise regime but the once daily swimmer has been told to quit public pools to avoid infection. Instead, he walks everyday for 45 minutes at a nearby park and does simple qigong exercises.

The home Szeto shares with his younger sister, who like him is unmarried, is compact and tidy. The walls are lined with books and hangings of thought-provoking Chinese calligraphy. As he slowly flips through leaflets produced by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, he shares memorable experiences and talks about his lifelong beliefs.

Szeto’s values were shaped by his experience of the Sino-Japanese War. When Hong Kong fell to the Japanese on Christmas Day in 1941, his mother took her seven children back to her home village in China to escape the occupation.

What should have been a three-day trip turned into a 14-day trek. “We need a strong country to escape from all these tortures.”

“Most cities we walked past had fallen into enemy hands,” he says. “The Japanese were fierce and cruel, the people were miserable. People who walked past the Japanese troops without immediately bowing were badly beaten and thrown to the ground.”

“Every morning, we brought food with us and hid in a mountain hideout, waiting for the armies to leave. By the time we returned home in the afternoon, we usually found it ransacked.”

From then on, Szeto had a keen sense of the difficulties his country faced and started to cultivate a patriotic heart. “We need a strong country to escape from all these tortures,” Szeto says.

But for him, patriotism does not mean love for any alliance, authority or leader. Instead it should be a love for fellow citizens, traditional culture and the natural environment.

Living with Alzheimer’s Disease

December 23, 2010

Reporters: Suki Chow, Karen Kwok, Shannon Lam, Oneal Li

Alzheimer’s disease, also called senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) and primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (PDDAT) is a degenerative brain disease. It is the most common form of dementia. This incurable and terminal disease was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him. Most often, it is diagnosed in people over 65-years-old, although the less-prevalent early-onset Alzheimer’s disease can occur as early as 50-years-old. In 2006, there were 26.6 million sufferers worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050.

Meeting Mrs Gwen Kao

Varsity spoke with Mrs Gwen Kao, wife of Professor Charles Kao, Nobel Laureate in Physics. In 2004, Professor Kao was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The disease greatly affected the lives of Professor Kao and his family members. Mrs Kao tells Varsity about her role as a caregiver for Professor Kao.

Hong Kong’s Wet Markets Struggle to Survive

December 21, 2010

Reporters: Candy Chin, Hazel Chung, Jennifer Kwok, Phoebe Man

As you walk along Fu Shin Street, the sound of vendors’ proclaiming their wares fills your ears. Stores are crammed in both sides of the street, but there is order in the chaos. Fu Shin Street market is one of the few remaining traditional wet markets in Hong Kong.

Fu Shin Street wet market is located in Tai Wo in the New Territories. The late Qing Emperor, Guangxu (光緒), separated Tai Po into Tai Po market and Tai Wo to settle the conflicts between the local clans of Tang and Man. To serve people in Tai Wo, a wet market was established in Fu Shin Street in 1892.

Since it was the centre for residents in Tai Wo, a Man Mo Temple was built in the middle of the market. This also became the landmark of the market. In the temple, there was a Chinese steelyard. Customers were welcome to check the weights of food they had bought there.
Like other traditional wet markets in Hong Kong, Fu Shin Street wet market was once very prosperous but started to decline when an indoor market opened in nearby Tai Po Market.

The 28-year old vegetable store Cheung Kei (張記) is one of those threatened by the indoor market. In order to survive, these stores sell their vegetables at a lower prices.

“It’s very hot here but even some young people still come here because our vegetables are much cheaper than those in the indoor market! They sell vegetables at $8 per catty. But we sell vegetables at $4 to $5 per catty!” says the 60-year-old vendor, Mrs. Cheung.

Established for over a century, Fu Shin Street wet market still looks much as it always did. Tonio Chung, who has lived in here since he was born, says that the market has not undergone great changes. And the number of people buying at the market remains stable.

However, he says that the turnover rate of stores here is so high that only a few traditional stores are left. Besides the rapid emergence of new smaller stores, modern chain supermarkets, Wellcome and Kai Po Supermarket, have also entered the market.
Supermarkets appeal to the younger people like Chung because they sell goods at their marked prices. Customers need not worry about being cheated.

Chung says that some vendors in Fu Shin Street cheat customers mainly using two methods. Vendors may sell goods at a price much higher than the marked price. They may also play tricks with in the scales, so the fresh food actually weighs much less than is indicated.

“They can sell goods to me at $80 even if it is marked at $38. It is an unreasonable practice!” he exclaims.

Due to the invasion of the supermarkets, some small fresh food stores like Cheung Kei have seen profits drop. They have lost one-third of revenue. However, some grocery and fish stores are not threatened by the supermarkets.

These stores survive by targeting different customers. Mr. Chiu of the 30-year old grocery store, Tin Shuen Ho (天順號) explains that his store attracts the elderly in particular because unlike in the supermarkets, customers can ask the shop assistants to get their things they need.
Another key to winning customers is the quality of food.Customers believe food in the wet market is much fresher. “The vegetables and fruits in chain stores are not fresh. The meat is frozen. The packaging does not allow you to choose,” says one customer, Ms Chan.

As redevelopment continues to erase what is left of traditional Hong Kong, the number of wet markets dwindles. Though traditional wet markets like the one at Fu Shin Street are not as tidy and organized as the new indoor markets, they are an important part of life. “When I want to buy food, I will immediately think of the Fu Shin Street wet market,” says shopper Ms Lau.

Dream On – Indie Music in HK

December 21, 2010

Reporters: Andrew Choi, Crystal Chui, Rebecca Wong

Microphones checked, guitars ready. It is almost time for the show.

Members of the audience sit on the ground, chatting so intimately that it seems everybody in the 800 square feet room must know each other. Meanwhile, the performers play Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who will go first.

At last, a duo appears. They sing a few songs, and make a number of errors but the audience responds with applause. The musicians drink from cans of beer in between songs. It seems to help steady nerves.

When it is time for the second band, some of the other performers come out to tune their equipment, while others tease the first band for their mistakes.

It does not look like a public musical performance, but it is. It is a show hosted to celebrate the opening of an outlet selling local independent music (indie music) products. Five local indie bands were invited.

To many people, indie musicians are rebellious, aggressive, and unrealistic. Their songs are not mainstream karaoke songs. Some of them are difficult to understand, while some express strong political resentments or personal feelings.

Hong Ka-chuen who founded 89286, a local indie music label established for 10 years, says one of the major differences between indie and mainstream music is that the former is not subject to constraints imposed by the market. Production of mainstream songs is factory-like. Before songs are published, different departments have to sign off on them to make sure that they are profitable.

Indie musicians value freedom in composing, this reflects their view on what music is. “Playing music is something as basic as swimming and playing basketball,” said J of No One Remains Virgin. The band of four formed in 2009 and write songs on political issues.

Being authentic is the most important value indy musicians aspire to.Technique and skill matter less than whether musicians play for conviction rather than for fame and recognition.

Putting aside the noble sentiments, indie musicians still have to face a harsh reality. In terms of financial resources, indie bands cannot make a living by only selling CDs and doing performances. Their audiences tend to consist of friends or friends of friends. Compared to the past, their survival has become even harder because of the shrinking number of performance venues. Many have given up because of these factors, but there are some still standing.

JoyTrendySound is an indie band which has stayed the course for nearly 10 years. From a band of five to a band of two, Ming and Mabel, who have regular jobs, have experienced changes in both their expectations and the external environment for indie music. Starting with a dream of being stars, they say they have learned to put aside the burden of achievement. “We are satisfied as long as we can still play music,” says Ming.

“I expected setbacks when I decided to be an independent musician,” said Gary from Caffeine Park. “Music is part of my soul. I will not stop doing music for any reasons.”

The future for these indie musicians, is somehow clear – No matter what, no matter how, they will dream on.

Cycling: Not just for fun

March 21, 2011

Cycling a way of life for Hong Kong’s biking commuters and kid racers

Reporter: Liz Yuen

Road conditions checked, helmets on. The fast changing urban scenery keeps them pedalling.They know they stand out in this urban metropolis. Still, they pay little attention to how others view them. They love what they are doing and they get a lot from it, so they cycle.

To an increasing number of people in Hong Kong, cycling is more than a recreation. It is both an activity that builds character, and a means of getting around – cycling has become a part of their way of life.

Around the trails in Tsz Wan Shan, a group of breathless parents and coaches has gathered for the monthly Hong Kong Future Cyclists’ Race. The atmosphere is tense. “Faster! Faster! Someone is behind you!” come the shouts. “Oh yes! Now he comes first! Go John! Go!”

“So how do you feel right now?” Paul Hadley asks his son when he comes back to the resting area after his race. Sam smiles but does not respond.“Do you think you have done a good job?” asks Hadley. He then goes on to ask Sam what he thinks he could have done to improve his performance “Maybe concentrated more on the road, not just thinking about passing others,” says Sam.

This type of post-race evaluation is very common here. Most of these parents view cycling as an activity that helps in the growth of their children. “It is important for him to have team spirit and commitment, so he has to be trained and take instructions from coaches, not parents,” says Hadley after Sam’s first race. “A race which he can compete in and lose, and see how other people react, will make him work out what he truly is and wants to be.”

Johnny Choi Ho Wang’s mother proudly pats him on the back after he finishes first in his heat. The 10-yearold is happy his family has come to support him. Sam, Johnny and the other kids, all aged between seven and 12 are members of local cycling clubs and school teams who have been chosen to represent their teams in the monthly races.

On top of public competitions, these junior cyclists have regular training three times a week, with the longest lasting four hours, as well as general fitness training.

Even though he is just 10, Johnny has been cycling in a team for four years. Last year, he had an accident and needed three stitches. “Sometimes crashes can be very serious,” says Johnny, “But you get used to it.”

Indeed, cycling means so much to these children that crashes are only to be feared because they can affect performance afterwards. Leo Yip Hinsing, 12, recently missed training for a month because of injuries. It was hard for him to keep up when he came back.

“But I had, I had to keep up,” says the son of a cycling team manager. “My parents spend a lot of money on this. I don’t want to give up. So I just kept on going…But today I still have to improve a lot to catch up.”

The Solar-Powered Geek

March 21, 2011

Young Hong Kong social entrepreneur brings solar-powered computers to developing world

Reporter: Cherry Ge Qingqing

It is 40 degrees Celsius under the scorching African sun and a group of Ghanaian villagers are busy installing solar panels onto the tin roof of a crude adobe house. Among them, it is easy to spot a lanky young white man with a voltmeter in his hand, checking that the solar panels are working.

He looks like a typical American teen – with his closely-cropped brown hair, plain white t-shirt and baggy khaki pants. But 20-year-old Charles Watson has experienced life quite differently from his peers. Born in London, Watson moved to Hong Kong with his family when he was 10.

He attended the Hong Kong International School, and it was a project for a school assignment that set Watson on a course that has seen him travelling around the world for the past two years. It has taken him to Ghana, Nepal, the Philippines and other developing countries, installing solar-powered computers.

His efforts mean students living in these areas have been able to use computers for the first time, despite the lack of a reliable electricity source. By the end of 2010, Watson had installed more than 100 computers.

Watson leads a busy life on the road, dealing with installations, giving workshops and raising funds. Varsity caught up with him via internet video while he was working on his project in India. It was just after 7 p.m., and Watson’s face was pale after a full day’s work, but he said there was still a ton of work awaiting him. Speaking fast, Watson recounted his story over the webcam.

It all started in 2009 with his senior high school project. Watson had always been a computer fan, his interest stemming from video games. He was also concerned that students in poor areas were unable to use computers because they lacked money and a stable electricity supply. So he thought of developing a computer that could run on low power and operate on a car battery charged by solar power.

“There are a number of problems with current programmes that offer computers to people in poor areas,” explained Watson. “For example the One Laptop per Child programme uses custom hardware, so it’s not as available as a computer like this which is built using mass-produced hardware that anyone can buy.”

He developed his prototype with a solar panel left over from a previous project and computer parts bought online. With the help of his family driver, who was an electrical expert, Watson was able to build a 31-watt computer that could last for seven hours. A regular computer runs on 126 watts. It had all the basic computer functions and could even play high definition video. It also cost around HK$4,000 to build.

From there, a teacher recommended he take the technology to Nepal. Acting on the suggestion, Watson decided he would take a gap year before he entered university. At the time, Watson wanted to study photography and the trip promised to combine his three passions in life – computers, travelling and photography.

“It seemed like a mix of real world experience, a test of my abilities, and even a chance for fun. I’ve always been a bit of a techie ‘computer geek’, so it’s great for me to combine my interest in computers with something that really benefits students in rural areas.”