Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Coronavirus: Hong Kong secondary schools should reopen first, say teachers, as younger pupils face prospect of Covid-19 shutdown until May

Coronavirus: Hong Kong secondary schools should reopen first, say teachers, as younger pupils face prospect of Covid-19 shutdown until May

Unions and principals want older pupils to return first in staggered reopening of schools from April 20 at the earliest. Half-days proposed for primary schools when lessons finally resume, which could be in May
Schools in Hong Kong should reopen in stages when the coronavirus shutdown ends, with senior secondary pupils returning first in late April and some younger children staying at home until May, according to teachers and principals.

Older students would be prioritised for the return of secondary schools ahead of the reopening of primary schools, which could consider opening in the mornings only to reduce the contagion risk, under proposals from the biggest teachers’ unions and head teacher associations in the city.

The Education Bureau last month extended the suspension of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools – in force since the end of Lunar New Year on February 3 – until after the Easter holidays or April 20 at the earliest.

The proposals came as Macau’s education authorities announced on Tuesday that most schools were likely to reopen before April 20 because the Covid-19 outbreak had stabilised there.

Those kindergarten, primary and secondary school principals who spoke to the Post said the Hong Kong education sector was in favour of senior pupils in secondary schools returning first in a staggered approach.

Two sources revealed the government would meet with primary and secondary school principals on Monday to discuss the arrangements.

The Education Bureau’s principal education officer Cynthia Chan Chin-woon told lawmakers on Tuesday that classes could resume in phases in April at the earliest, adding the bureau would consider the opinion of health experts and the availability of surgical masks before making a decision.

“We will also discuss with the education sector arrangements for class resumption,” said Chan. “Some schools have been doing preparations, including ordering masks from various channels such as from other countries outside Asia.”

Teddy Tang Chun-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, told the Post that resuming classes in phases was preferred because it could allow schools to make better preparations and help students to adapt.

“Many secondary schools are preparing [their school premises as exam centres] for the Diploma of Secondary Education exams, which would begin from March 27, and then on the arrangements for resumption of classes afterwards,” said Tang.
He said there were still mask shortages at secondary schools because fresh supplies would only arrive from mid-April.

Wong Kam-leung, a primary school principal and chairman of the 35,000-member Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, also suggested that senior and junior secondary pupils should return to school first, followed by primary schools in early May.
“When secondary school students resume classes, primary schools could follow after approximately 14 days after that, starting from May 4,” he said.

Wong added that primary schools could cut the school day to avoid pupils eating and chatting with their masks off at lunch, which could heighten the risk of Covid-19, especially for younger children.

So Ping-fai, of the Subsidised Primary School Council, believed primary school pupils could return in two batches, with Primary Three to Six back on campus ahead of their younger peers.

Honorary chairman of the Aided Primary School Heads Association Cheung Yung-pong said resuming classes in phases should be balanced against students’ learning needs, adding some were also concerned that a further delay could result in a shortened summer holiday.

Ivy Leung Sau-ting, a kindergarten principal and an executive committee member of the 100,000-member strong Professional Teachers’ Union, which represents about 85 per cent of the city’s educators, said kindergartens should be the last to return, which she added could come as late as mid-May.

She also said school hours at kindergartens could be considered to be shortened so kids would have relatively lower health risks staying at school.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×