Hong Kong students will be able to go on 1-day trips to mainland China to fulfil requirements for new core subject
- Senior secondary students will be able to do a 1-day trip to the Greater Bay Area for revamped liberal studies subject
- Secretary for Education Christine Choi says schools will not be granted exemptions
Hong Kong’s education authorities will offer a new option of a one-day trip to the Greater Bay Area for senior secondary students to fulfil a compulsory requirement for a core subject to save them from having to stay overnight in mainland China, according to the minister.
But Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said there would not be an exemption as requested by some education associations who said they did not have time to prepare and were concerned about the Covid-19 situation in mainland China.
The compulsory tours required for the revamped liberal studies subject – citizenship and social development – have not started since it was launched in the last school year because of the travel restrictions during the pandemic.
The Subsidised Secondary School Council on Wednesday welcomed the new arrangement and foresaw more schools would choose one-day trips.
The minister said education officials would test the one-day route before school tours started in April to ensure it was safe and smooth, adding there should be sufficient time for schools to prepare for the trip over the next three months.