Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s biggest teachers’ unions call for speedy decision on whether schools will reopen in January

Name: World bids farewell to 2020 as Covid-19 mutes New Year celebrations
Uploaded: 2021-01-02T12:50:10.000Z
Duration: 7 min 34 s
Description: World bids farewell to 2020 as Covid-19 mutes New Year celebrations

Kindergartens and schools suspended on-site classes in early December and campuses will not reopen until January 10 at the earliest

More than 75 per cent of teachers want coming tests postponed if pupils are kept at home, a survey has found

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On-site classes were suspended in early December as the fourth wave of infections took hold. Photo: Robert Ng

Chan Ho-him,Rachel YeoandVictor Ting

Published: 8:50pm, 2 Jan 2021Updated: 2:44pm, 3 Jan 2021

Hong Kong’s two biggest teachers’ unions have urged the government to decide soon whether school campuses will reopen this month, while three quarters of educators want coming tests postponed if pupils are kept at home, a survey has found.

But an infectious disease expert urged caution on resuming face-to-face classes, saying it remained to be seen whether Covid-19 cases would rebound even as the city on Saturday recorded the lowest number of new infections, 35, since the fourth wave began in November.

Kindergartens and schools suspended on-site classes in early December and the Education Bureau earlier said online learning would continue when the new term started on Monday.

Face-to-face lessons are cancelled until January 10, but education officials have yet to announce any resumption plans beyond that date.

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World bids farewell to 2020 as Covid-19 mutes New Year celebrations

Educators and parents said the government should give them enough time to prepare for pupils to go back to school, which was likely to happen in phases and on a half-day basis.