Hong Kong third wave: kindergarten, international school terms will not start until at least August 17 amid Covid-19 outbreak

‘We hope schools can resume classes as early as possible, but we cannot risk students’ health under the current ... situation,’ education secretary says

Coronavirus situation also means most cross-border students commuting from mainland will not be able to return at all

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Hong Kong kindergartners and those attending international schools will not be going back to class in early August as hoped. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 2:58pm, 20 Jul 2020Updated: 11:59pm, 20 Jul 2020

Many of Hong Kong’s international schools and kindergartens, some just weeks away from reopening, would see the start of their new school year delayed amid the city’s third wave of Covid-19 infections, the education minister announced on Monday.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said at a press conference that the schools would begin classes no earlier than August 17, as the pandemic had shown “no signs of improvement”.

Their reopening dates would depend on the development of the health crisis, he said, with schools being given at least two weeks notice to prepare.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung says it is unlikely most students commuting from homes in mainland China will be allowed back at all for the new school year. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

“We hope schools can resume classes as early as possible, but we cannot risk students’ health under the current situation,” Yeung said.

He added that most of the city’s 27,000 cross-border students – Hongkongers who commute from the mainland – would likely be unable to return to class in the coming school year.