Hong Kong has experienced repeated school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. While many studies and commentaries have drawn our attention to the learning losses and mental health issues resulting from the prolonged shutdowns, little has been said about the impact on students’ personal development, particularly among those in their final years of secondary school. “Suspending Classes without Suspending Learning” was the slogan used by the Education Bureau and educators to promote continuous e-learning during Covid-19 outbreaks. In some ways, the availability of digital tools to facilitate teaching and learning outside classrooms has allowed policymakers to use class suspensions as a core measure for controlling infection. However, schools are more than just institutions for acquiring knowledge; they offer a relatively safe environment for young people to try new things, build confidence and develop social skills. This is particularly relevant for upper-secondary school students, who tend to take up important roles in organising functions and interschool activities. Running the student council, being a school prefect, joining clubs and societies – all these offer valuable opportunities to develop teamwork, leadership, organisation and problem-solving skills. These experiences help young people stretch themselves and discover personal strengths and interests, preparing them for tertiary education and their future careers. Unfortunately, the decision to shut schools during the pandemic meant these crucial learning experiences were relegated to the lowest priority. Even when in-person teaching for secondary school students partially resumed , schools could typically only open for half a day to comply with the government’s infection-control policies. This left little room for non-academic activities. On an average half-day at most local schools, students attended face-to-face lessons in the morning, then rushed home for lunch before joining remote zoom classes (and sometimes, additional private tuition lessons) in the afternoon. As the morning in-person session was devoted to academic learning, teachers were able to deliver extracurricular activities online only when time permitted. Imagine what it would take to learn to tie knots online, or to have a good grasp of filming without using the equipment. The impact on students is obvious. Teachers have noticed that more senior secondary students encounter difficulties when making live presentations. Many have little to include in their personal profiles when applying for university courses or jobs. Also affected are our future teachers. Students of education have experienced disruptions to their placements at local primary and secondary schools. With many schools racing to recover teaching hours lost over the past two years, it will be challenging to accommodate the training needs of these prospective teachers. Undoubtedly, our future teachers will be adept at e-learning. However, they are likely to face challenges when stepping into a real classroom. Now, when many parts of the world are opening up, and young people in other countries are going on study trips and excursions to broaden their horizons, our students remain homebound as stringent inbound testing requirements and quarantine rules make overseas travel too difficult and costly. Sadly, while there are concerns about a brain drain in Hong Kong owing to the outflow of human capital, we seem to be falling short of equipping our future workforce with the essential skills they need. Promoting whole-person development is a proclaimed objective of many schools in Hong Kong, but this can never be achieved if we continue to reduce “learning” and “schooling” to their narrowest sense – classrooms, books and exams – and prioritise academic proficiency over broader personal development. Are soft skills really more important than academic subjects to employers? To move forward, there are several lessons we need to heed. E-learning, despite its advantages, cannot replace classroom learning and other personal development opportunities in school. In the event of a future public health crisis, every effort should be made to make schools safe to open; closing them should always be the last resort. When normal schooling is disrupted, adjustments to curriculums and public exams must be made to allow for a better balance between academic pursuits and extracurricular activities. With John Lee Ka-chiu, our incoming chief executive, pledging to improve the city’s overall competitiveness and enhance the upward mobility of young people, we need a more holistic approach to education to better prepare our young people for future challenges. Dr Yvette To is a postdoc at the Department of Asian and International Studies at City University of Hong Kong