Should schools in Hong Kong continue online classes with typhoon signal No 8 in force?
- Some schools cancelled classes while others proceeded with online lessons as Typhoon Higos lashed the city on Wednesday
- The different responses have led educators to urge the Education Bureau to update guidelines relating to bad weather alerts
But with some other schools suspending classes for all pupils as Typhoon Higos lashed the city, concerns had been raised over “grey areas” when it came to handling classes under severe weather alerts, which had been treated before as an official approval to cancel school.
School heads who spoke to the Post said they had urged the Education Bureau to update relevant guidelines to provide clearer instructions on the matter. But a bureau spokeswoman on Wednesday said schools would be given the flexibility to decide on whether they would hold online lessons.
As staff and students were already safely at home, there was no reason to disrupt lessons
As Typhoon Higos approached Hong Kong and wind speeds intensified quickly, the No 8 and No 9 warning signals were issued from 10.40pm on Tuesday to 11.10am on Wednesday – both alerts meaning schools and other public services would be suspended under normal circumstances.
The Education Bureau’s guidelines, which were updated last year before Covid-19 happened, state that classes in all schools are to be suspended when the typhoon signal No 8 or above is raised, or when the red or black rainstorm signals are issued in the early morning.
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But as schools that had already begun their new term in August were required to carry out only online classes amid the third wave of Covid-19 infections, some had opted to continue their scheduled lessons with teachers and students staying home.