Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Voyage of discovery

Voyage of discovery


One Hong Kong couple find that local schools are unable to match the standard of home education they provided their children on a round-the-world yacht trip
Elaine Yau (elaine.yau@scmp.com) 
Jul 15, 2012     
SCMP


Freelance writer Cam Cheung Wai-nui and her husband, former police superintendent Robert Highfield, are unconventional parents. When the couple decided after Highfield's retirement in 2005 to realise his childhood dream of sailing around the world, they surprised friends and relatives by taking their two young daughters along.
During the voyage Molly and Nancy, now aged 13 and 11, kept up with their studies through a home-schooling programme. When they returned from the odyssey in 2009, the usual school classrooms awaited them. 


But while others might send their children to elite schools and enrol them in special interest classes to bolster résumés, their parents sent them to an integrated government school with a programme for special needs pupils.


http://www.facebook.com/homeschool1


The idea, Cheung says, was to give the girls some early exposure to people from different backgrounds by having them study alongside hearing-impaired, autistic and hyperactive children.


But after the freedom and flexibilty of home-schooling, Hong Kong's regimented education proved too much for their daughters. So, after Easter this year, just months before Nancy was due to complete her primary education, Cheung took them out of the school and went back to teaching the girls herself.


Cheung has since written a book about her experiences in devising a home-schooling curriculum and the insight she gained from delving into various education issues


Titled My Children Learn Differently (Feel Publishing), the Chinese-language title, released last week, is also a biting critique of the local education system.


Two years on the treadmill of Hong Kong classrooms turned her daughters from lively youngsters into a couple of lost, listless girls, Cheung says.


"They no longer had [their own] views on things," she says. "I asked them many questions [about their day] but they just shrugged and present an impassive face."


Cheung blames the school's exhausting study schedule for dampening her children's enthusiasm and curiosity about the world around them.


"When we home-schooled them during our four-year trip, it was very flexible. All homework was during class time, which we set at three hours a day.


They had free time after classes. After living like that for four or five years, they found local school life strange.


"Molly had to spend several hours every day completing her homework, and this caused her a severe lack of sleep. The homework, which required copying and model answers, was very monotonous. They were so tired after school that I had to cut down on visits to grandparents and other activities," Cheung recalls.


Although deeply disenchanted with the local education system, Cheung says she and her husband struggled with the decision to resume home-schooling.


"After four years of home-schooling them at sea, I was eager to hand back the responsibility of teaching them to the school. A sentence uttered by a teacher is more powerful than thousands of words from a mother.


Deadlines also work better in a school setting, as teachers are more authoritative and they get a different kind of respect from children," she says.


"Moreover, I was chairwoman of the parent-teacher association at Wo Che Lutheran School in Sha Tin which Nancy was attending. She was only several months away from graduating when she left. The school showed genuine care about students' learning needs and I felt I was deserting it."


But this was outweighed by the Highfields' concerns about the effect that the straitjacket-learning system in government schools was having on their children, especially Nancy.


Their elder daughter, Molly, had adapted better. She got on well with her classmates in primary school and did well enough to secure a place in Pui Ying College, a sought-after secondary school in Sha Tin.


But Nancy, who loves art and wants to become an artist, didn't enjoy her time back at school at all.


"All the kids would only talk about their favourite anime characters and other silly things," she says.


"I could not find a way to communicate with them without saying something that made them think I was weird. The classes were so boring that you almost fall asleep."


Cheung says their younger daughter enjoyed life on the boat when both parents were around all the time.


"She doesn't like it when I am not at home. The pressure of school made it worse," says Cheung. "She has very strong views on things and her forgetfulness sometimes got her into trouble at school. She found most of her classmates immature, couldn't make many friends and would take a novel to school and read alone in a corner most of the time."


Cheung criticises officials for creating an education system that emphasises homework and academic learning at the expense of students' overall development. It even encroaches on precious family time, which mostly revolves around discussions about revisions and exams.


Instead of helping children to be self-learners who can find out answers by themselves, she says teachers here expect conformity from students who are simply fed chunks of facts.


History textbooks in Hong Kong are mostly filled with dry facts compared with the well-written course material for the US-devised Calvert school curriculum, which she chose for homeschooling at sea. 


The components about Greek mythology and art history are written in such a lively way that I enjoy reading them too," Cheung says. "While local students have to copy their composition with all the teachers' corrections, Calvert gives students a free rein with writing exercises. Parents highlight the mistakes, so their work isn't filled with big crosses."


It took nerve, resolve and hard work for the Highfields to push ahead with home-schooling in Hong Kong, not least because parents are required by law to send their children to school.


"A proposal for home-schooling is scary in Hong Kong, where it's illegal to keep children away from school.


We wrote to the Education Bureau setting out our plan and spelling out our justifications for doing so," Cheung says.


As might be expected, the Highfields' scheme met with a cool reception. The Education Bureau replied saying that students were required by law to attend a recognised school, Cheung recalls, and officials made inquiries at their daughters' school and asked the principal to have a word with them.


But the couple persisted in their quest. They met Education Bureau officials in their Kowloon Tong headquarters and presented detailed plans.


Their thorough groundwork evidently won over the officials: "In the end, they acknowledged that some children benefited from alternative education although they stressed that the policy is for youngsters to be educated in schools. They eventually approved [our application] and they will conduct a home visit to see our progress later."


Cheung reckons her biggest challenge is working out how to instil self-discipline in her daughters and how to make learning interesting for them.


"Home-schooling is a big learning process for me. I have been reading books on how to teach critical thinking, classroom management and child psychology. We are still working on the best methods to teach them."


Highfield takes an active role in the girls' education: besides drawing up the lesson schedule, he is responsible for teaching history and geography.


"Most kids hate history. They have to memorise a lot of meaningless facts.


I am taking them this year through the history of the human race from its beginning up to the civilisations and peoples in the world today. When doing this, we also cover the geography of mankind's spread and where they ended up and why. They are learning about the principles of palaeoanthropology and DNA studies which will give them a good foundation for more detailed study later.


"Once they understand the general picture of the whole of human history, we will go into more detail in chosen areas that interest them."


Chinese language is his wife's sole purview, but he also supports her in maths, science and English lessons.


"[The girls] usually won't mess around. If they get bored, we do something different," Highfield says.


"Most of the time, Cam is the disciplinarian and I am the cajoler to get them to toe the line. I usually inject humour, which helps if things are not going well."


Cheung also goes out of her way to develop interesting educational material for her daughters. Sam Hui Koon-kit's Canto-pop classics, for instance, can offer insight into Hong Kong's social and cultural changes.


"I try to use current affairs and things relating to daily life when teaching Chinese. They love the political satire in Civic Party legislator Tanya Chan Suk-chong 's recent stand-up show," she says.


The girls may return to conventional classes when they advance to higher levels, but, for now, their parents haven't set a timeline for the home-schooling.


"It all depends on how they are doing," Cheung says.


To make up for the loss of their seafaring lifestyle when they returned to Hong Kong, she enrolled her daughters in dinghy sailing classes, and Molly has taken to the sport with gusto.


"Sailing practice continues under the sun or rain. By exposing them to the elements and getting them to use skills and speed to beat others, the sport can train their perseverance and all-round development," she says.


"My husband tried teaching them sailing while we were in Vanuatu, but they didn't pick it up until they came back to Hong Kong. Molly really loves boat racing and wants to be a professional sailor after she grows up."


With Highfield and Cheung closely involved in their children's education, learning is a collaborative activity that often involves everyone in the family.


"We devote six hours every day to learning. There's no homework. We do outings and physical education together. We play badminton and go swimming. I sometimes do crafts, cooking and knitting with them for home-economics lessons. Learning is far more efficient when the subject matter is interesting and they are not in a big class with pupils of varying ability," says Cheung.



"Molly has just finished writing her second novel and is working with her dad on a book on poems.
When they finish, Nancy will provide the illustrations and I will do the Chinese translation."

Monday, July 16, 2012

長者生活津貼2200元須審查 資產總值不超過 186000元 自住物業不計作資產


新長者津貼2200元須審查 逾40萬長者受惠 年增60億開支
明報
7/17/2012


【明報專訊】特首梁振英昨日宣布一系列長者福利措施,其中在競選政綱中提出的「特惠生果金」,會易名為「長者生活津貼」推出。合資格長者每月可獲發2200元津貼,金額是現有高齡津貼(俗稱生果金)約兩倍,當局預料計劃有40多萬名長者受惠,涉及每年額外60億元公帑開支。現時65至69歲長者只要通過現有的「生果金」入息及資產審查,便可取得2200元。現時70歲或以上長者仍可毋須審核領取1090元生果金,但如要獲「升級」改領長者生活津貼,便要通過審查。


醫療券每年增至1000元
另外,政府亦計劃明年1月1日起,把長者醫療券由每年500元增至1000元,預計70萬名長者受惠,政府每年額外開支為3.5億元。另政府建議獎券基金撥款5億元,成立「社會企業發展基金」,專門向社企貸款,協助社企發展。


勞工及福利局長張建宗昨解釋,新長者生活津貼計劃運作,預料在明年1月起可接受65歲或以上長者申請,只要通過現時生果金的入息及資產申報,如單身長者每月入息不超過6660元,資產總值不超過 186,000元,便可領到2200元的長者津貼。




張建宗表示,入息只計算工資、退休金及收租獲得的收入,但子女親友給予的生活費用則不會計算,而長者自住的物業亦不計作資產。


http://easss.com/pharmacy


倘10月開始撥款 1月申請仍可追溯
特首梁振英昨日在立法會指出,新津貼生效日期定於立法會財務委員會批准撥款當天,並爭取在10月上旬召開特別財務委員會審批。張建宗指出,如開始撥款日期為10月,即使長者在明年1月申請,仍可追溯10至12月的津貼,至在1月時一次過取到8800元津貼。


張又指出,當局已是「急民之所急」推出政策,但預計申領人數眾多,社署需要增聘人手及調校電腦系統,籌備需時,故明年初才接受申請。
根據統計處資料,去年中本港65歲以上的長者共94萬人,其中70歲或以上佔68萬人。社署資料顯示,截至今年6月,領取生果金的65歲或以上長者達52.3萬人,當中包括7萬名須通過入息及資產審查的65至69歲申請者,以及44.5萬名毋須資產入息審核而獲發生果金的70歲或以上長者。


議員:津貼「加閘」 違敬老原意
工黨李卓人及民主黨黃成智均批評政府,對70歲或以上長者「加閘」設審查,做法苛刻「算到盡」,「查家宅」有違敬老原意,應劃一向所有長者派發每月2200元津貼,不應設審查分級。長者權益協會總幹事李立航亦擔心,向70歲或以上長者增設審查,浪費行政時間,令長者無法即時受惠。


港大社會工作及社會行政學系講座教授周永新則認為,由於生果金改以「長者生活津貼」推出,為向有需要長者提供額外津貼,故設審查可理解,長遠應進一步把生果金、生活津貼及綜援整合為一個長者津貼系統。社協主任何喜華亦指出,新措拖只應作過渡措施,長遠來說長者生活津貼應要與全民退休保障一同討論。

雙學制效應下 憂新學制亂 尖子鋪路跳船報讀海外大學


憂新學制亂 尖子鋪路跳船
經濟日報 
7/17/2012


【經濟日報專訊】首屆中學文憑試(DSE)本周五放榜,僅兩成考生可升讀本地資助學位課程;雙學制效應下,名校尖子亦憂心新學制前景混亂,作多手準備報讀海外大學,有文武雙全男生已獲哈佛大學無條件取錄。


升學機構指,今年整體海外升學申請較去年增逾兩成,預計放榜後再升一成。準英、美名校大學生教路,報讀海外大學時,個人簡歷宜將成就與擬報讀學科連繫,切忌自我吹噓。


http://digcan.com


本年共7.3萬名學生應考DSE,爭奪1.5萬個資助學位,競爭激烈,在雙學制下,DSE考生與上月放榜的高考生一同競爭自資學位及副學位,不少學生憂心升學前景混亂,都會預先報讀海外課程作為第二出路。


兩年前報考多個國際試




有名校尖子早已鋪定多條出路,於就讀中四及中五時,報考GCE(英國高考)或SAT(美國大學)入學試,期望入讀海外著名學府,為自己增加出路選擇。


拔萃男書院(男拔)應屆文憑試考生吳穎駒,去年於SAT考得2,330分,獲美國康奈爾大學、芝加哥大學,及一間常春藤大學無條件取錄,最後選擇了芝加哥大學,無論周五放榜成績如何,均可赴美升學。


吳表示,幾乎全班逾30名同學皆於過去兩年報考其他國際公開試,據了解,已有數名同班同學分別獲英國倫敦大學學院、倫敦帝國理工學院,及美國加州大學洛杉磯分校取錄。


寫簡歷宜經歷連繫課程
他指出,報讀海外院校時,撰寫個人簡歷技巧是獲得無條件取錄的關鍵:「不能只講課外活動表現或成績優異,除表達自己對學科的熱誠,亦要以故事形式,凸顯傑出之處,與擬報讀課程連繫,切忌自我吹噓!」


獲倫敦國王學院有條件取錄、將攻讀英語的協恩中學中六生黃思琦表示,撰寫個人簡歷要突出自己長處,更重要是表達自己對學科的熱誠,帶出自己與人合作及溝通能力,亦能令人留下深刻印象。


另一名男拔應屆文憑試考生林兆暉,去年SAT考獲2,000分,加上網球表現卓越,中一起已代表香港出戰國際賽,毋須進行面試,已獲美國哈佛大學取錄,下月底赴美開學。他表示如學生有體育及音樂才華能貢獻學校,可增加錄取機會。


放榜後申請料升1成
環凱國際顧問公司項目總監張家禧表示,直至本年7月初,查詢升學數字較去年同期升逾兩成,實際報名人數亦增加了15%至20%,當中赴澳洲及加拿大升學各佔3成,赴英國及美國各佔一成半,餘下一成往新加坡等其他國家。整體申請中,6成為高考生,4成為DSE考生,他預計,考生本周五放榜後申請人數將再升一成。


主要提供英國升學服務的英聯教育顧問中心,申請留學人數較去年上升逾兩成,當中主要報讀商科、工程及法律;機構教育策劃經理梅詠儀預計,高考生大學聯招及文憑試放榜之後,申請人數將會再上升。



拔萃男書院應屆文憑試考生林兆暉、張曉風和吳穎駒,等待文憑試放榜的同時,正準備衝出香港到海外升學。


海外升學知多些
撰寫個人簡歷錦囊

Friday, July 13, 2012

10元「膠蟹」有價 香港膠鈔塑料鈔回收貴3成


10元「膠蟹」有價 回收貴3成
經濟日報 
7/14/2012


錢幣買賣商陳榮輝向記者展示港幣10元連張,他表示,「膠蟹」炒得起全靠內地需求。


10元「膠蟹」受內地客追捧,不但連張回收價炒高2、3成,全新單張只要號碼靚,亦可炒至幾十元。


10元「膠蟹」回收價




【經濟日報專訊】內地近期興起以10元「膠蟹」製成套裝送禮,本港紙幣收藏公司出高2至3成價錢,回收全新、無摺痕的連張膠蟹,極靚號碼的膠鈔每張更炒至2,888元。


由於全新膠蟹可在銀行兌換,有市民密密換,每周「無本生利」賺數百元;但有錢幣專家提醒,若內地需求有變,回收價隨時急跌。


位於旺角的好旺角購物中心,是錢幣郵票的買賣集中地,自去年起,場內商舖的報價表上,多了一項香港膠鈔,他們專收全新、沒有摺痕,以及10張或以上順號碼的港幣10元膠鈔,每張回收價高達12至13元,較原本面值高出2至3成。


京滬禮品店 包裝後售數百元
此外,單張10元膠鈔只要號碼靚,亦有價有市。例如鈔票數字是倒影、重複或4條等,每張的回收價可達28至38元;場內所見,一張鈔票號碼為「888888」的10元膠鈔,被標價達2,888元,約是原價的288倍。


http://easss.com/travel/zuji/hk


經營錢幣買賣生意35年的蔡芳祥透露,膠蟹升值,全因內地的大量需求:「內地禮品公司將10元膠鈔,連同其他鈔票,製作成送禮冊子,大受商業機構及官場歡迎!」


他指出,港商以12元回收膠鈔,再以每張約人民幣11元(折合約港幣13.4元)售予北京及上海等禮品公司,後者經不同組合包裝後,會以人民幣數百元出售,利潤十分可觀。


記者在淘寶網上,找到售價人民幣156元的「全新香港塑料鈔10元曾俊華簽名10張標準連號帶大吉大利珍藏冊」,內有十張連號的10元港幣膠鈔,冊子上寫上吉祥如意、大吉大利等好意頭的字句。


為何內地人鍾情膠鈔?蔡芳祥解釋,中國至今僅曾推出過兩款紀念性質的人民幣100元膠質鈔票,故內地人對膠鈔趨之若鶩。而另一錢幣買賣商陳榮輝笑說,有朋友上月前往內蒙旅行,當地人寧願蝕10元收10元膠蟹、也不要20元港紙,足見受歡迎程度。


需求隨時跌 高價回收或炒燶
事實上,膠蟹熱潮早已悄悄興起,本港Yahoo拍賣及淘寶網有市民高價放售膠蟹,其中淘寶網上,一張普通膠蟹亦可叫價人民幣13元(約港幣16元),利潤高達6成;由於市民現時可在銀行兌換全新膠蟹,蔡芳祥透露,有熟客每周前往銀行兌換1至2次,倒賣約200張,無本生利淨賺400元。


不過,陳榮輝提醒,膠蟹是現時本港的流通貨幣,炒得起全靠內地需求,倘若需求有變,又或已收夠數量,回收價隨時急跌。「好像早前曾炒至每張30元的渣打銀行鯉魚圖案10元紙幣,因內地停收,現時回收價僅18元!」但他亦笑言,膠蟹可在市面使用,即使炒燶亦只會是高價回收的商家。

內地網站瘋傳 「港製迷姦水」伽瑪丁內酯 GBL


內地網站瘋傳 「港製迷姦水」
經濟日報 
7/14/2012


【經濟日報專訊】用作製造「迷姦水」的主要原料伽瑪丁內酯(GBL),一直無管制,本港一年有逾22噸付運;同時,標榜「香港製造」的迷姦水,在內地網站瘋傳銷售,更聲稱無迹可尋不犯法。


港府終修例將GBL納入危險藥品條例監管,今日起生效。藥劑師警告,過量攝入GBL可致死


「GBL用於安眠減肥藥」


伽瑪丁內酯(GBL)是製造俗稱「迷姦水」羥丁酸(GHB)的主要原料,由於無色無味,服用後可令人欣快和造成短暫昏迷,因而被當作迷姦工具。


丁內酯製迷姦水主要原料
本港早於十年前把GHB列為受管制的危險藥物,但GBL則一直未受管制,反觀澳洲、英國和美國等,已受管制。


資料顯示,2006年1月至11年7月期間,約90批GBL或類同名稱的化學品付運,而2010年8月至2011年7月期間,亦有17批涉22.3噸GBL付運。


http://easss.com/cell


本報發現內地大量網站聲稱有售GBH香港迷姦水,有60毫升裝,樽身標示「迷奸」,售700元人民幣,稱一次用3毫升可催情,用10毫升則可迷暈。有網站售10毫升裝,每樽索價350元人民幣。


據網頁指產品採用香港GBH原液,是著名迷姦水,無色透明味微鹹,溶於啤酒飲料不察覺。


網頁又指,迷姦水只需10多分鐘見效,藥效3至4小時,由於在體內代謝極快,逾6小時便查不出任何證據,而當時人醒後又無記憶,稱該藥被喻為「姦人於無形」,「強jian不犯法」。


保安局指前年4月本港已檢獲小量GBL連同其他危險藥物。事實上,去年一名澳洲來港發展的模特兒涉嫌由本港偷運迷姦水原材料GBL到澳洲,總值約400萬美元(約3,120萬港元)。


保安局局長黎棟國早前指伽瑪丁內酯可製作「迷姦水」,過量會嘔吐、顫抖、判斷力受損等不良後果,甚至可製作「迷姦水」,須立例管制。


墨西哥鼠尾草新納管制


由於伽瑪丁內酯亦可用來製造飲食補充品,如健身奶粉、調味劑等,故含量不足0.1%的產品可獲豁免。


對於內地湧現聲稱香港製造的迷姦水,立會保安事務委員會主席涂謹申不認為本港立法太遲,政府近年對新興毒品已積極處理手法,以往要警方、醫生或社工有呈報個案才修例,但現時只要海外已開始流行的毒品,本港未出現都已修列防患未然。


另在外國已冒起的毒品「墨西哥鼠尾草」,屬草本植物;以及其活性成分「丹酚-A」,若非法販運及製造危險藥物,最高可被判罰款500萬元及終身監禁。

胡椒噴霧之父:香港警察咪亂嚟!

胡椒噴霧之父:香港警察咪亂嚟!
2012年07月12日
新聞耳目 Next Mag


警方今次出動的大支裝胡椒噴霧容量是十六安士,射程長達五米。 


國家主席胡錦濤在七一前夕訪港,港人趁機要求平反六四。警方奴性大發,布下兩米高水馬陣高度戒備。


當日立法會議員長毛梁國雄手無寸鐵上前示威,迅即被對準成為重點「噴椒」目標,一輪瘋狂式噴射後,長毛的眼耳口鼻被黃色胡椒泡漿着。


隔了幾個身位的本刊攝記,在一分鐘內連中兩元,事隔一天後,被雨淋頭仍感刺痛。


而站在附近幾個只喊口號的中學生,照樣中椒。
本刊就此訪問胡椒噴霧之父洛文( Kamran Loghman),他不禁力斥香港警察:「咁噴唔正路!」

去年美國警方濫用胡椒噴霧,洛文感震驚,自覺有公民責任要說出發明噴霧的原意


當日警方掏出像滅火筒般的大支裝胡椒噴霧,一輪狂噴,本刊女記者立即轉身仍走避不及,背部感到一輪火炙般的刺痛。旁邊的攝記經歷第一輪噴射後,正要低頭抹鏡頭之際,又被第二輪狂噴:「嗰刻我對眼好痛,成分鐘都睜唔開,以為自己盲咗!」同場的長毛,是警方的頭號目標,雖然事後洗澡兩小時,事隔六日耳朵仍感灼痛,而且視力模糊。


http://easss.com/magazines


對於長毛中椒後多日,雙眼仍感不適,洛文道:「胡椒噴霧設計上不會引致死亡或者令眼睛受傷,除非亂用,例如對着眼睛近距離噴射。」


而中大眼科及視覺科學學系教授譚智勇補充:「二千年芬蘭曾經做過研究,搵咗十個警察在 1.5米以外噴,當時發現被噴後七日內,角膜的感覺會弱咗,好易整傷咗都唔知。至於再近啲噴會唔會有更大傷害,暫時未有研究。」


發明胡椒噴霧的洛文,現為美國聯邦法院化學專家,並在美國海軍學院任教學領導。八十年代,洛文發明胡椒噴霧後,曾幫美國警方編撰訓練手冊,要警察熟讀才可用。十年間,只有約四千人獲他批准使用胡椒噴霧。


記者將七一前夕發生的示威照片電郵給洛文看,當他得知學民思潮的中學生也被噴,他不禁發聲:「如果示威只是普通的抗議投訴時,不應使用胡椒噴霧!」又補充:「如果無受身體襲擊都噴,這樣用得不合理( not justified)!」


根據香港警方的內部指引,在施用胡椒噴霧時「人員應留意風向避免誤中自己或無辜者」、並要在兩呎外噴射,發射前要發出口頭警告亦應詢問是否患病及受藥物影響等多項程序。但根據記者觀察,警方當日明顯無做足程序。


年近六十的洛文,對有記者被噴,最感不滿:「我覺得用胡椒噴霧來對付記者或媒體,是不適當的( inappropriate and improper),因為記者根本沒有襲擊警察!」說罷感嘆:「每次見到有無辜的人被噴,我都會唔開心。」


由噴狗變噴人

去年底,美國有人發起「佔領華爾街」行動,警方出動胡椒噴霧,連八十四歲老婦亦中椒


時間回到八二年,洛文在美國天主教大學修讀宗教,閒時鑽研日本武士道。畢業後他留在學校教東方哲學,一次旅遊,他在巴黎的銀行提款,被一個濫藥的男人突襲,刀刺了數下。他不願回想法國警方最後如何制服那個一時 high了的男人,但他拾回小命後,卻反替天下暴徒設想起來。


「胡椒噴霧發明前,法律上可行使的武力得好少,例如高速公路的巡邏警察遇到一個受藥物或酒精所影響的人,警察想把那人拉出車而遇到攻擊時,只有很少選擇,一係用警棍、一係用致命武器(即是槍)。」


他未讀過化學,卻想到發明非致命武器對付暴徒,八八年更成立公司研究胡椒噴霧、催淚彈。記者頭,洛文卻反諷:「蘋果的喬布斯都無讀過電腦程式編寫啦,我邊做邊學!」


「胡椒噴霧本來係用來對付狗隻襲擊的武器,但是配方同噴射方式不適合用來對付人。」早在六十年代,已有獸醫發現可利用辣椒素來應付動物襲擊,八十年代,美國郵政局讓每個郵差隨身帶備一支犬用胡椒噴霧,以防送信途中殺出惡犬。


他把對付狗的噴霧配方改良,找來二十多種辣椒種籽,甚至混合了三百種不同的辣椒植物( capsicum),提煉辣椒素( capsaicin):「犬用的辣椒素質素差,個罐的壓力又唔夠,一噴就被風吹散!


他將研究交給美國聯邦調查局( FBI)學院, FBI用幾年時間分析及實地測試,八九年將軍用胡椒噴霧合法化。哲學老師成為美國軍方的科學家,自此還研發催淚氣等。前年美國前總統克林頓更寫信讚許他的貢獻。


胡椒不能滅聲
但去年十一月,美國加州大學戴維斯分校一批學生在校內靜坐、聲援「佔領華爾街」行動,其間警方竟向靜坐學生近距離噴胡椒噴霧,美國傳媒即向洛文興問罪之師,指他發明了一隻怪獸。「我當時好震驚,在美國胡椒噴霧竟被濫用來對付一些無辜的學生,我好傷心。但我無後悔,因為未有胡椒噴霧時,警察只用致命武力,它總算是救了幾千條人命!」


看到學生靜坐,他腦海中卻出現子女的背影:「當時在我腦海中第一時間出現的,唔係學生或者警察,而是見到我的子女坐着表達異見,但他們被亂噴或者被化學物品所傷害。」去年埃及茉莉花革命,政府用胡椒噴霧及催淚彈迫令市民回家,洛文嘆謂:「催淚彈而家都好流行,對我來說,無論警察團隊或者其他人,根本是無力處理問題根源才要用這些方法叫人收聲化學武器唔係用來解決這些問題,更非用來叫人收聲的!」


撰文:鄔詠恩

Thursday, July 12, 2012

中學教科書價格昂貴 中一全套逾4千元

教科書昂貴 中一全套逾4千元
經濟日報
7/13/2012


中學教科書價格高昂,有家長會建議學校邀請家長一同選書,並促政府盡快推出電子教科書,減輕家長負擔。



部分學校中一書目價格


【經濟日報專訊】教科書價格高昂仍然困擾家長,有學校的中一級全套教科書已突破4,000元,亦有學校的書價較去年升逾1成。「課本膨脹」的問題亦持續,有中學的中一級英文科多達9本書,包括字典,即單是一科英文科,書本已要逾千元。


有書局負責人表示,書目、教材五花八門,書局要新舊版齊備;家長會則建議政府盡快出電子書,而學校亦應邀家長一同選書,釋除疑慮。


http://easss.com/books/textbooks


部分中學 書價升逾1成
升中派位塵埃落定,不少家長昨日陪同子女到學校註冊後,隨即帶同書單購買新書;本報記者搜集8間中學書單作比較,其中聖公會曾肇添中學,全套中一課本價格達4,018元,較去年上升6.5%;而明愛聖若瑟中學全套書價格的升幅則最高,今年達3,412.5元,較去年上升12.6%。


通識教育科方面,學校雖然選用與去年同一出版社課本,但使用不同單元,書價較去年升50%。


除了格價昂貴,個別科目仍出現「課本膨脹」情況,其中明愛聖若瑟中學英文科教科書、作業、聆聽練習、閱讀理解、課外閱讀連字典,合共多達9本書,若全部買齊已需1,162元。


歷史科亦不例外,天主教普照中學在歷史科亦要購買6本書,共3個課題,包括歷史研習簡介、香港傳統農村生活及古希臘、羅馬時代的生活;伊利沙伯中學生活與社會科(Life and Society),亦要購買8本書;仁濟醫院靚次伯紀念中學的中文科及普通話科各須購一本字典。


促推電子書 家長會同選書
課本之五花八門,連書局負責人亦有意見,漢榮書局董事總經理石漢基指近年不少科目均出現一個科目,數本教科書,而且教科書有新舊版,各學校使用版本各有不同,書局選擇購書亦有困難:「有人用新有人用舊,再加上上學期3冊、下學期3冊、作業、補充練習;以數學科為例,有機會出現過百本不同數學書。」


育有3名子女的東區家長教師會聯會主席趙明批評,過去十多年以來,教科書貴一直困擾家長,「長女開始讀書已希望書價減,如今長女投入社會工作,幼女升讀中一,全套書價要3,033元,書價節節上升,未見回落!」


趙倡政府推行電子教科書,或推行一些更可能方式令書價回落,同時,學校若要家長信服買書物有所值,不妨透過家長會一同選書、解說利弊。