Hong Kong third wave: educator says students should walk to school to avoid Covid-19 risks as they head back to classrooms this week
- Going by foot means fewer people on crowded public transport, says James Lam, former chairman of the Subsidised Secondary Schools Council
- Recess times should also be staggered so pupils do not gather in large numbers on playgrounds, suggests Federation of Education Workers Tang Fei
Fewer people on trains and buses would help minimise Covid-19 risks for everyone, and besides, the walk would be good exercise, said James Lam Yat-fung, former chairman of the Subsidised Secondary Schools Council.
Students are preparing to return to classrooms in phases beginning on Wednesday after being largely stuck at home since the end of January. While schools have adopted preventive measures such as temperature checks, concerns remain that streams of students converging once again could lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases.
“What is most worrying is the potential risk of infections when students go to school by means of public transport,” Lam, who is also an adviser at Lions College Kwai Chung, told a radio programme on Sunday.
“By walking to class, students could reduce the volume of passengers on buses and the MTR, where transmission risk is higher. Students will also have an opportunity for exercise if they walk to school.”
The Education Bureau has arranged for face-to-face teaching to resume in two phases. Half-day classes begin on Wednesday for students in Primary Five and Six, Form Five and Six, as well as for pupils starting their first year at primary or secondary school and those in the final year of kindergarten.
