Cross-border students may resume in-person classes in Hong Kong from February 1, but parents’ group wants date pushed to April
- Education Bureau and schools tentatively agree to let cross-border students return to Hong Kong campuses in February
- Around 18,000 Hong Kong students living on the mainland attended city’s kindergartens and primary and secondary schools in 2021-22, down by more than 30 per cent from previous academic year
Cross-border students living in mainland China may resume in-person classes in Hong Kong from February 1 under the latest plan by authorities, but parents had instead called for a resumption in April, citing the recent surge in Covid-19 infections and the need for schools to make adequate preparations.
The education sector and parents have welcomed the highly anticipated reopening of the border between Hong Kong and the mainland, but both groups said ample time was needed to restart in-person classes.
The city’s Education Bureau and school headmaster groups on Wednesday tentatively agreed to let cross-border secondary school students return to the city from February 1, followed by primary school pupils on February 15, in alignment with proposed dates for full-day, in-person classes to resume for all other students in Hong Kong.
Thousands of cross-border students have withdrawn from Hong Kong schools over the past three years as Covid-related travel restrictions, such as quarantine rules, made it impractical to attend classes in person. Those who did not withdraw have had to attend classes uniquely online.
A parents’ group representing cross-border students on Tuesday wrote to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to suggest pushing back the return to in-person classes for mainland-based pupils to April 2023 or later.