Social News
Written by: Hou Cailin
2020-05-01 11:00
Last update date: 2020-05-01 11:00The new pneumonia epidemic continues, making this May Day even more memorable. The society is almost at a standstill and schools are closed. Freeze pay, unpaid leave, pay cuts, layoffs, etc. are endless. Self-employed people are even more uncomfortable.
The income of music instructor Mr. Hu (Woody) has dropped by 90% compared with the same period of last year. Currently, he has only sporadic private lectures. "The worst I have tried is a week, and I have to teach a bell for nothing. I get nine words (45 minutes) ". Woody bluntly said: "The real department does not expect to return to normal income first." It is estimated that the fastest time will be until the music test season from August to November this year. Even after the beginning of the next semester of primary and secondary schools, normal income will not be restored until October and November. .
A government spokesman pointed out that the "employment protection" scheme will provide about 215,000 self-employed persons who have made contributions to the MPF from January 1 last year to March 31 this year with a one-off subsidy of $ 7,500. It is currently expected that the "Guaranteed Employment" program will accept applications before the end of May.
Woody studied the violin from an early age. After graduating from college in 2003, he joined the music education industry. Since the epidemic, Woody's income has dropped by 90% compared with the same period last year, and only "sporadic" private teaching work. (Photo by Liang Pengwei)
SARS encounters epidemic again 17 years after entering the business
Woody, a professor of violin, viola and orchestra instructor, has studied violin since childhood. He graduated from the Music Department of CUHK in 2003. At the beginning of graduation, it was known that the music industry was "narrow in line" and unstable in work. ". But still holding the mentality of "from the details to the university with a lot of knowledge, I want to pass it on", I chose to join the music education industry. However, he met SARS as soon as he graduated, but Woody admitted that the situation was not bad at that time. He had already found a job when he graduated, and he only had to postpone his employment. After the epidemic eased, he would start class as usual.
However, after 17 years of entering the business, he encountered a new coronary pneumonia epidemic. In the past, the inter-school music festival and music theory examinations were held in April and May. This period was originally the "peak season" of the music education industry. However, the current examinations are cancelled and the resumption of classes is still indefinite. Woody reluctantly said: "Ikea doesn't know when it will be back to class, and our industry's golden schedule is definitely not good."
Woody, who has studied violin since childhood, believes that music is not "extra" because music can make society more diverse. (Photo by Liang Pengwei)
I lost 90% of my income
Woody is currently renting a studio with his brothers and sisters. Each instructor can make an appointment to use the studio and teach in the studio. His income comes mainly from teaching violin classes, orchestras, and private lessons at school. Woody said that in the past, every Saturday, "students are eager to learn, so prosperous", sometimes the tutor in charge may not be able to make an appointment to use the studio one month earlier.
However, in January this year, the first new case of pneumococcal pneumonia was diagnosed in Hong Kong. Privately-learned students canceled classes one after another. The school ’s violin classes were also suspended due to the school ’s suspension and the approaching examination season. To date, Woody's income has dropped by 90% compared to the same period last year. He has only sporadic private lectures. "The worst I have tried is a week, and I don't have an hour. I get nine words (45 minutes)."
The income was greatly reduced, which made Woody bluntly stressful, and the resumption of classes is indefinite. Normal income will be restored only in November and November.
Trying to teach online is not effective
Although the class has not been resumed yet, there are still schools that need to continue violin classes and string training. Woody had to change the course to live webcast. But Woody bluntly said that online teaching cannot personally guide students to perform techniques, nor can it accurately hear the sound changes, "the sound quality of the sound layer is far away." In addition, beginners may not know how to tune. In the past, Woody will help students tune, it is difficult to explain by words alone, and online "air conditioning is the most difficult." Woody bluntly stated that online teaching is a "method out of nowhere" and is worried that students "will learn a lot and learn a lot", so I will not give private lessons in this way.
Straightforward prospects are not optimistic, and music makes society more diverse
As for the future of the industry, Woody bluntly said: "The general prospects are not optimistic." The time for students to learn the piano is getting shorter and shorter. Previously, students have been "unsurprising" for ten or eight years, and in recent years students have studied on average four to four. For five years, "students can learn to stop before graduating from high school. Ikea may learn to go to foreign countries to study in junior high school." Despite this, Woody did not regret entering the business. He said that some people would think that "you can't wait for washing (music), it's not necessary"), but he said, "(music) doesn't mean that it's an extra thing, It will make this society more diverse. "
Woody tried to set up online teaching in the studio, but the effect was not satisfactory. (Photo by Liang Pengwei)
The Musical Workers Association approved RMB 7,500 to subsidize the "Cup of Water", suggesting that it should be distributed for three consecutive months
In the new round of anti-epidemic and anti-epidemic funds, the government distributed a one-off grant of 7,500 yuan to self-employed persons who have provided MPF funds. Woody bluntly said that since the epidemic has occurred for more than three months, the income has been greatly reduced. The assistance of $ 7,500 is "not enough at all" and hopes that the government funding will increase until the expenditure can be balanced.
The Hong Kong Music Workers Association said earlier that the government ’s second round of anti-epidemic and anti-epidemic funds is a “salary”, suggesting that the government will grant schools a tutor, coach, trainer, or self-employed $ 7,500 subsidy from a one-time payment to Three months of continuous funding. At the same time, the self-employed person's allowance should be decoupled from the MPF contributions and replaced by the applicant submitting a work certificate or the food payment record for the past three months as the application conditions.
Woody and the brothers and sisters share a studio to teach, but the studio is very deserted. (Photo by Liang Pengwei)
It is expected that the "Guaranteed Employment" program can accept applications before the end of May
In response to an enquiry, a government spokesman said that the "employment protection" scheme will provide about 215,000 self-employed persons who have made contributions to the MPF from January 1 last year to March 31 this year with a lump sum of $ 7,500. It is currently expected that the "Guaranteed Employment" program will accept applications before the end of May. As for self-employed persons who have not contributed to the MPF, the relevant policy bureaus have introduced free workers who teach interest classes in different industries, such as schools, social welfare agency service units, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, etc. Over 7,500 yuan.
In addition, if you are a tutor, coach, trainer and interest class operator in the school, a coach registered in the sports association and sports organization, and a special tutor and instructor in the service unit of the social welfare organization, if you were on January 1 last year Contributions to the MPF from March 31 this year, in addition to receiving a lump sum subsidy of $ 7,500 in the plan of their industry, they can also receive an additional lump sum of $ 7,500 under the "Guaranteed Employment" program as a self-employed person Funded.
Implementing the MPF System to quickly implement the employment protection plan
Since the government wants to help companies and employees in the shortest time, it must be implemented in the simplest and fastest way. The MPF scheme covers 260,000 employers and 1.7 million employers who have contributions to MPF and have established occupational retirement plans. Employees, and about 215,000 self-employed people who have made MPF contributions, so the government decided to implement the "employment protection" program through the MPF system.
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New Crown Pneumonia Music Epidemic Prevention Fund
