Disadvantaged Hong Kong pupils struggling with online classes during coronavirus pandemic ‘need more government help’
- Education Bureau accused of failing to meet its responsibilities for underprivileged households
- Society for Community Organisation calls on officials to increase the internet subsidy and consider technology upgrades for low-income families
Hong Kong officials must increase the internet subsidy and consider technology upgrades for low-income families to help children struggling to take online classes during the pandemic, according to a human rights advocacy group.
Accusing the Education Bureau of failing to meet its responsibilities, the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) urged the government to look into equipping underprivileged households with computers or mobile data sim cards, so their children’s grades, emotional health and eyesight did not suffer further.
The call came after SoCO’s survey of 733 students from low-income families found 40 per cent did not have computers at home to take online classes.
They had instead been using their parents’ smartphones for schoolwork throughout the public health crisis, which has kept schools closed for most of the year.
“The pandemic has already led to many low-income residents losing their jobs and they have to go around looking for free meals or eat less,” said Sze Lai-shan, a SoCO community organiser. “Where are they going to get the money to pay for computers?”
According to a previous survey released by the society last Sunday, almost a third of the city’s low-income residents had lost their jobs between May and July, while more than half were underemployed.