Letters | Back to school in Hong Kong: take lessons from pandemic for shift to smart classrooms

  • Students can only shout out the answer or not talk at all in a physical classroom, but the online medium has helped spark better discussions among them, even after lessons
  • The physical classroom and textbook teaching style has continued for more than 150 years. It is time for classroom teaching to enter the smart age

Students return to in-person classes at a primary school in Cheung Sha Wan on September 29. Nearly 900,000 pupils from all Hong Kong schools and kindergartens have returned to in-person classes for the first time in more than half a year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Winson Wong
After all the barriers and isolation brought by the coronavirus outbreaks, Hong Kong students are finally meeting each other in person again. My opinion after experiencing almost half a year of online teaching is that it has its pros and cons.

The worst thing is that we cannot physically check on each other. Although we can chat online, it feels odd not being able to run around with friends or go eat lunch in the same restaurant. Teachers cannot make sure if students are working on a lesson or are just away from the keyboard. There are also some privacy concerns in terms of being on camera from home.

Print option is available for subscribers only.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.