More than 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s parents highly stressed as schools remain shut amid coronavirus epidemic, poll finds
- Survey of more than 500 parents finds those working from home the most anxious as they worry over children’s online-based schoolwork
- NGO vice-chairman urges parents to relieve stress by bonding with children instead of consuming too much Covid-19 news
More than 80 per cent of parents in Hong Kong feel troubled by school closures amid the coronavirus epidemic, with those who have to work from home reporting the highest levels of stress, a survey by an NGO has found.
The Hong Kong Institute of Family Education, a local non-profit group, proposed that parents could try spending more time with their children and playing games with them in their spare time, instead of consuming too much Covid-19 news and piling on the anxiety.
“We encourage parents to keep up communication with their children even after the epidemic is over and consider playing board games or other activities together,” institution vice-chairman Christopher Yu Wing-fai said.
The NGO conducted a phone survey of 515 parents between February 27 and March 10, asking them about the amount of time spent playing and exercising with their children, on top of questions about the school closures and summer break.
Among the respondents, 41.7 per cent said their children were in kindergarten, 40.4 per cent had young ones in primary school and 17.9 per cent in secondary school.