OPINION

Praise for education system

Re: "Cut school years: Dhanin", (BP, Dec 5).

Dhanin Chearavanont correctly says young people spend too much time in school at the expense of real-world experience. Thailand has a large and complex educational system with 2,660 secondary schools. Being a teacher myself and having served on university councils, in my opinion Thailand has very good tech schools which are a viable foundation for the future. Schools like KMIT, Mahanakhon, and the 50 Rajamangala Institutes of Technology routinely receive high rankings.

Some of the brightest and most ethical people I ever met -- like the late Nikom Chandravithun and Montri Chenvidyakarn -- were from the countryside and products of the school system (Thammasat) who went on to get their PhDs in the United States. They returned to make important contributions to the country.

Mr Dhanin's argument about overeducating people can be applied equally to the USA, where there is US$1 trillion (3 trillion baht) in student loan debt and an oversupply of schools and degrees.

The reason why many of the most successful people in the USA -- including five out of nine of the Supreme Court justices -- come from the New York boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx is because they learn "street smarts" and the "real-life" lessons that Mr Dhanin is talking about.

Some degrees are worth the time. Statistically, the top paying and highest-demand jobs are in computer science. The average starting salary of someone with a bachelor's degree in computer science from Carnegie Mellon is $250,000.

Mr Dhanin is looking at the overall system. Apart from reducing the number of school years, it would be interesting to hear from him more specifics about what young people should be studying.

End violence, restore order

The current situation in Hong Kong has nothing to do with so-called democracy or freedom.

The nature of the issue is that extreme violent offenders have disrupted law and order in Hong Kong, attempted to destabilise Hong Kong and undermine "One Country, Two Systems". Their activities are extreme, violent and illegal.

The top priority for Hong Kong is to end violence and restore order. To restore law and order, violence must end and violent perpetrators must be brought to justice. This is the only way to safeguard the interests of the public, ensure a better future for Hong Kong, and cement the foundation of "One Country, Two Systems".

We will continue to firmly support the Special Administrative Region government under the leadership of the chief executive in governing Hong Kong in accordance with the law.

We firmly support Hong Kong police in strict and rigorous enforcement of the law. We firmly support the judicial institutions of Hong Kong in bringing violent offenders to justice in accordance with law.

The Chinese government remains unwavering in its determination to safeguard China's national sovereignty, security and development interests, implement "One Country, Two Systems", and oppose any interference from external forces in Hong Kong affairs.

As the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China concluded last month, it was reiterated that "One Country, Two Systems" is an important policy of the Communist Party of China in leading the Chinese people to realise the peaceful reunification of the motherland.

The Chinese government will continue to implement fully and faithfully "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong", and a high degree of autonomy.

For this formula to work in Hong Kong, there are three bottom lines, namely, no tolerance for any activity that, one, undermines national sovereignty and security; two, challenges the authority of the central government or the Basic Law; and, three, uses Hong Kong for infiltration or sabotage against the Chinese mainland.

At the same time, the Chinese government will improve the system of overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong in accordance with the constitution and the basic law. We will also improve the arrangements for Hong Kong to integrate into the overall development of the country, match complementary strengths with the mainland and achieve coordinated development. And we will work to address deep-seated problems hampering social stability and long-term development.

External forces that have indulged and fanned violence in Hong Kong cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility for the recent escalation of violence in Hong Kong. They confuse right and wrong, and refer to extreme violent offenders as "peaceful demonstrators" and "pro-democracy protesters".

At the same time, they are piling blame on Hong Kong police who are performing their duty, safeguarding the rule of law and protecting the safety of life and property of Hong Kong citizens. We would like to tell these external forces solemnly that the Chinese government remains unwavering in its resolve to oppose any external interference in Hong Kong affairs!

We urge these forces to immediately stop any form of interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, and immediately stop condoning violent offences. Otherwise, they would lift the stone only to drop it on their own feet!