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Early summer break 'will not compromise learning'
Students will have their summer holiday from early next month till mid-April but that does not mean there will be fewer teaching activities, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung has said.
But the Pre-Secondary One Hong Kong Attainment Test scheduled for July may need to be postponed, he said.
Yeung's remarks came after Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that all kindergartens, primary and secondary as well as international schools must start their summer holiday next month and resume classes after the Easter holiday ending on April 18.
Authorities will utilize thousands of school campuses as testing and vaccination sites during that period, she said.
Yeung said the new arrangement only shifts the learning order and should not reduce overall learning hours. He said authorities are ironing out details with the education sector to ensure smooth implementation.
Yeung said the government will be responsible for all of the renovations needed for the conversion of schools into isolation facilities.
"Regardless of the final arrangement, we will make sure the campuses are clean before returning them," he said, adding that authorities will ensure there are sufficient campuses for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations, which will begin on April 22.
Lawmaker and principal of Hong Kong's Heung To Secondary School (Tseung Kwan O) Tang Fei said authorities need to give schools clear guidelines and enough time to disinfect campuses before the DSE exams. "It doesn't make much sense for the campus to be a testing center the day before the DSE exam," he said.
Tang also said authorities should announce any changes to the DSE exam schedule as soon as possible to minimize the impact to students.
He added that the Education Bureau should also provide guidelines on when primary and secondary schools should hold their promotion exams, usually held in June.
Separately, Yeung said that since September 2021, a total of eight kindergartens have ceased to operate.
But he said there are also two newly registered kindergartens, while applications from six kindergartens are being processed.
He said it is "natural" that the decline in student population in recent years has led to a corresponding decline in the demand for teachers.
Yeung's remarks came after Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that all kindergartens, primary and secondary as well as international schools must start their summer holiday next month and resume classes after the Easter holiday ending on April 18.
Authorities will utilize thousands of school campuses as testing and vaccination sites during that period, she said.
Yeung said the new arrangement only shifts the learning order and should not reduce overall learning hours. He said authorities are ironing out details with the education sector to ensure smooth implementation.
Yeung said the government will be responsible for all of the renovations needed for the conversion of schools into isolation facilities.
"Regardless of the final arrangement, we will make sure the campuses are clean before returning them," he said, adding that authorities will ensure there are sufficient campuses for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations, which will begin on April 22.
Lawmaker and principal of Hong Kong's Heung To Secondary School (Tseung Kwan O) Tang Fei said authorities need to give schools clear guidelines and enough time to disinfect campuses before the DSE exams. "It doesn't make much sense for the campus to be a testing center the day before the DSE exam," he said.
Tang also said authorities should announce any changes to the DSE exam schedule as soon as possible to minimize the impact to students.
He added that the Education Bureau should also provide guidelines on when primary and secondary schools should hold their promotion exams, usually held in June.
Separately, Yeung said that since September 2021, a total of eight kindergartens have ceased to operate.
But he said there are also two newly registered kindergartens, while applications from six kindergartens are being processed.
He said it is "natural" that the decline in student population in recent years has led to a corresponding decline in the demand for teachers.
