Dear Editor
I am writing to express my views towards the government plan of pulling down my school as part of the redevelopment program in Ho Man Tin. As this project affects not only my school, but the whole area, I understand that I should not selfishly insist on preserving my school’s building. However, pulling down the school is neither the best idea nor a wise choice. There is a win-win method that can strike a balance between preservation and redevelopment.
There are many reasons for keeping the school building intact. It has been established for a long time. The building itself is very old indeed. Up on the mountain, the school serves not only as a place for our next generation to receive education, but also as a landmark to those driving on the highway. It is certainly a significant signboard that drivers would expect to see. The school building is, in other words, of vital importance to the community.
Apart from the historical and symbolic significance of the school building, the collective memories of the teachers, students and alumni also justify its preservation. Imagine losing our homes. All of us have spent years, days and nights studying or working at school. The school is an illustration of our growing up, all the exciting and sad moments. We cried and had fun together, all at the school building. Is it humane to destroy the memories of all the people from the school just because the neighborhood needs to be redeveloped? I doubt that.
Building a school does not cost an insane amount of money, but getting a piece of land for the job does. The price of land in Hong Kong is rising at an unbelievable rate. How is the government going to find a place for our school to be relocated? This is going to cost a lot from the taxpayers. I do not think the money is worth it, especially because the school building is working fine and there is no need at all to pull it down and construct a new one. On the other hand, if the government uses the fund to support education, provide social services or even fight poverty, the money will certainly be put to much better use.
Some have said that the school building should be torn down as the building is old and renewing it could provide better facilities for the students. However, we should bear in mind that the school does not have to be torn down totally in order to add new facilities into it. If there is any plan to build something like a swimming pool, it would be another waste of money. If the government insisted on redeveloping the area by pulling down the school, I think we would have to compromise. Disassembling the school piece by piece and putting them back together at a new location seems to be the best option for a win-win solution. This can fulfill the needs of the government to redevelop the area and preserve the old, filled-with-memories building at the same time. Of course, this should only happen when the government firmly demands to pull down the school.
The plan of pulling down my school for redevelopment in the area really sets my teeth on edge. The government should think twice before doing so as it can cause enormous destruction to our memories and is also a drain on the money from our beloved Hongkongers.
Yours faithfully
Chris Wong