Going back to how things used to be might be a relief but it still leaves unsolved many lingering problems in Hong Kong’s education system. With improved policy, a new perspective and integration of education technology, we could usher in a golden age for education.

The government has endorsed a subsidy scheme for employment agencies hit by Covid-19. Yet the scheme does not acknowledge that a large subset of the industry has been criticised for facilitating labour trafficking through debt-based coercion.

The government’s refusal to acknowledge the problem does not change the fact that it devotes far fewer resources to tackling the scourge than even NGOs, and consequently lags behind other jurisdictions in enforcement.

Cracking down on widespread illegal practices among helper employment agencies would protect both employers and helpers.