The new crown pneumonia epidemic is stable. Many epidemic prevention policies have been canceled in Hong Kong earlier, but the arrangement for students to take quick tests every day will still be maintained this month.
Cai Ruolian, director of the Education Bureau, said today (11th) that if the epidemic situation continues to stabilize, after consulting experts, there is a chance to lift the rapid test requirement for students next month.
Secondary school cross-boundary students can return to Hong Kong for classes starting this Wednesday (8th). Although most of the ports operate smoothly, some ports, such as the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai port, may have less frequent bus trips, causing some students to be late.
Cai Ruolian said that she has reported the relevant situation to the bus company and will make further adjustments. She has also reminded the school to handle it flexibly.
In addition, the Education Bureau announced earlier the arrangements for the Mainland study tour of the High School Citizenship and Social Development Division, but some of the itineraries only lasted one day. Cai Ruolian emphasized that the school can still choose a 2-day or 3-day study tour, and explained that the condensed itinerary has just resumed full-day due to the principal’s feedback. In face-to-face classes, schools need to allocate staff to help students adapt to campus life, and it will be difficult to arrange inspections.
▼September 1, when Chuangzhi Middle School started, some students took the quick test▼
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Cai Ruolian said in a business radio program today (11th) that the reason for maintaining the quick test every day is because the school has just resumed full-time face-to-face classes. Because students will go out to eat and participate in many extracurricular activities, it is maintained to strengthen protection. The arrangement of the quick test, "Parents will feel more at ease, and the risk of outbreaks among children will be lower." She continued that the bureau will review the relevant arrangements at the end of this month. If the epidemic situation continues to stabilize, after consulting experts, the next Yue has the opportunity to lift the quick test requirement for students.
Secondary school cross-boundary students will return to Hong Kong for classes this Wednesday (8th). Although most of the ports operate smoothly, some ports, such as the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai port, may have less frequent bus trips, causing some students to be late.
Some voices worry that cross-border students in elementary schools and kindergartens will aggravate the situation after they return to Hong Kong for classes starting on the 22nd. Cai Ruolian said that she has reported the relevant situation to the bus company and will make further adjustments. She has also reminded the school to handle it flexibly.
She also said that the permits had been granted to Hong Kong school buses and cross-border school buses earlier, and the bureau had also communicated with the contractors operating cross-border school buses on related matters, and quoted them as saying that the preparations were in good condition. Once the approval document and route are arranged, the service can be provided.
As for the health declaration, she said that she had communicated with the mainland earlier, and the Shenzhen authorities will make special arrangements. Parents can first obtain the "black code" for their children, and then print it and pass it to the school bus nanny to print, so as to facilitate collective processing at the port.
She also reminded schools not to rush students to catch up with their learning progress. She noticed that some schools have arranged activities to help students adapt and integrate into the campus.
▼Tin Shui Wai Shun Tak Fraternity Association Weng You Secondary School resumption of classes for cross-border students on February 8▼
When asked whether the number of cross-border students has decreased due to the epidemic, Cai Ruolian said that there are currently about 21,000 cross-border students, which is similar to the number before the epidemic, but admitted that some parents of cross-border students have arranged for their children to study in the Mainland. I hope to return to Hong Kong to study after completing relevant courses.
She also mentioned that the Bureau will reserve about 300 cross-border students to participate in the unified allocation every year. In the past two years, about 170 to 180 cross-border students have participated in the unified allocation. The students knocked on the door.
Regarding the survey that kindergartens may usher in a wave of closures, Cai Ruolian said that the number of newborn babies dropped from more than 60,000 in 2016 to just over 30,000 last year. It is an indisputable fact to describe the decline in the school-age population.
However, she believes that the global phenomenon of "decreasing birth rate" has not yet occurred in Hong Kong.
However, she said that the population aging situation is different in different regions. Although 5 kindergartens were closed in the past year, the authorities are currently processing the application for the opening of 1 kindergarten, and 6 are preparing to apply.
In addition to the decline in the school-age population, Cai Ruolian said that she will pay close attention to the problem of the loss of teachers. Some English, information technology and home economics teachers may be taken away by other industries, "because all walks of life can't hire people."
She revealed that the authorities have increased the number of teacher training places for relevant subjects, and she contacted the school recently and said that the current situation is much better than last year.
Cai Ruolian said that if the epidemic situation continues to stabilize, after consulting experts, there is a great chance to lift the quick test requirement for students next month.
(File photo/photo by Liang Pengwei)
The Education Bureau announced earlier the arrangement for the mainland study tour of the Division of Citizenship and Social Development of senior high schools.
Cai Ruolian explained that since the number of Form 4 and Form 5 students who have not been surveyed currently exceeds 100,000, and Form 5 will prepare for the Diploma Examination next year, it is difficult for students to prepare for the exam or deploy teachers.
Some schools criticized that part of the itinerary only lasted one day. She pointed out that the relevant arrangement was because some principals reported that the middle school had just resumed full-time face-to-face classes. Since the school specially arranged manpower to help adapt to campus life, it would be difficult to arrange manpower to arrange inspections.
She emphasized that the school can still choose a 2-day or 3-day study tour, "I know that some principals want students to go farther and see more."
She emphasized that mainland inspections are part of teaching. If students have health problems, they can apply to the school not to go, but the school will record it, and the bureau will also check the relevant records. Cherish the opportunity and appeal to students to apply for a home return permit as soon as possible, so as not to pass the customs without a valid certificate.
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