Coronavirus: Hong Kong students might return to half-day classes before summer break, education chief says

The arrangement would avoid high-risk situations such as pupils gathering for lunch, according to top official

But parents are anxious for the government to make a firm decision, with a concern group stressing online learning is no substitute for the classroom

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About 900,000 pupils have not been inside a classroom in Hong Kong since late January. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 5:58pm, 18 Apr 2020Updated: 11:30pm, 18 Apr 2020

If Hong Kong schools do resume before the summer break begins in July, students might be taking only half a day of classes to minimise coronavirus infection risks, the education chief says.

Any reopening should be done in phases, with older pupils heading back to class first, followed by younger ones later, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said on Saturday.

About 900,000 students went on holiday in late January before the Lunar New Year, but as the number of coronavirus cases in Hong Kong began to climb, schools have remained shut. Most are holding lessons online, although the government does not require it.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung. Photo: Edmond So

Yeung, speaking on two radio programmes, did not rule out the possibility classes might resume before the summer. The number of new coronavirus infections in Hong Kong has fallen into single digits over the past week, and although the drop is encouraging, health officials say it remains too early to say the trend is established.

Education officials would meet primary and secondary school heads in the coming weeks to discuss arrangements, according to Yeung.