Coronavirus: senior students to head back to classrooms in Hong Kong, but pupils over the border still stuck at home
- Schools have been adopting infection-control measures, including staggered start times for classes
- But parents with children who live in mainland China are waiting for authorities to work out commuting arrangements
Students from Form Three to Five will begin half-day classes under a phased resumption schedule, followed by lower forms next month.
But education officials are still discussing with Shenzhen authorities arrangements for the daily commute of cross-border pupils, including mandatory virus tests and possible direct transport between checkpoints and schools.
The return to classes might also be affected by plans of student concern groups from dozens of schools to stage sit-ins and class boycotts on Wednesday to protest against proposed national security and anthem laws for Hong Kong.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Tuesday warned against non-cooperative movements at schools, which he said would jeopardise benefits students enjoyed, and called on pupils to avoid any illegal activities.
According to a non-governmental organisation providing cross-border social services, parents living in mainland China with children who attend schools in Hong Kong are growing increasingly concerned over when they can return to the classroom.
Schools in Yuen Long, Tai Po and North districts are among those with the most number of such pupils. Lin Chun-pong, vice-chairman of one of the city’s biggest school heads associations, said some schools would resort to teaching such students via live-streamed lessons or video make-up classes on weekends.