Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Hong Kong mulls Covid-19 testing for schools, priority return of some pupils

Hong Kong mulls Covid-19 testing for schools, priority return of some pupils

Hong Kong’s education minister said on Tuesday the government would consider conducting mass Covid-19 screening for schools and was looking at prioritising the resumption of face-to-face classes for students taking their university entrance exams, as well as new starters.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said pupils coming into their first and final years of primary and secondary education could be allowed to return to school grounds first, after announcing on Monday the decision to extend the suspension of face-to-face teaching until further notice.

Asked if his bureau would contemplate the large-scale coronavirus testing of students sitting their Diploma of Secondary Education exams this academic year so they could be back in the classroom sooner, Yeung said the city’s health authorities were still assessing which categories of Hongkongers to target.

“The Food and Health Bureau and the Centre for Health Protection have been considering as a whole when mass testing takes place, what would be the respective arrangements, and which groups of residents would be covered,” Yeung told a radio programme.

“We will take that into consideration. If the testing is so large-scale, for example, it can help a majority of Hongkongers or can cover specific people, then we will look at the situation and see if something extra could be done for schools. We will look at the development before making a decision.”

However, at Hong Kong’s daily Covid-19 press conference, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said: “I'm not sure [about] the rationale for testing students, because one test does not mean anything. “If you [are] asymptomatic, and you tested negative, you may still get infected afterwards.”

State broadcaster CCTV has reported that mainland China would help Hong Kong carry out the tests for its 7.5 million residents, while the head of the Guangdong team of experts deployed to the city said they aimed to boost daily testing capacity locally to 200,000, from its current level of 20,000 to 30,000.


Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung. Photo: Jonathan Wong


Subsidised Secondary Schools Council chairwoman Halina Poon Suk-han said questions remained over whether participation would be compulsory under a programme reliant on public resources.

“If we are talking about all students in Hong Kong, it would be a large amount of up to 900,000 students,” she said.

Lin Chun-pong, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, said although mass virus testing for schools might be able to secure the confidence of parents, the decision of when face-to-face classes could resume should be based on how the epidemic developed and health experts’ advice.

“Even if mass testing is in place … we still have to consider the health risks of bringing students back on campus amid the ongoing pandemic. That’s a decision that should be made based on medical experts’ opinion,” Lin said.

Head teachers last month suggested to Yeung that Form Six, Form One, Primary Six and Primary One pupils should be among those given priority if face-to-face classes resumed.

Yeung said on Tuesday that education officials had been evaluating that proposal, which was dependent on the pandemic situation, with half-day classes in place to reduce the health risks.

“We will try to strike a balance between the students’ learning needs and their ability to take care of themselves. If we see they are suitable to return to schools earlier based on their learning needs, we also want to make them go back to schools earlier,” he said.

Hong Kong third wave

Tracking the spread of local Covid-19 cases




Tai Tak-ching, principal of SKH Tang Shiu Kin Secondary School and chairman of the Wan Chai District Headmasters’ Conference, said many Form Six students were lagging behind in their learning schedule after months without face-to-face learning.

He said most catch-up classes held in school for senior secondary students, which were originally scheduled in July and August, had to be moved online due to the third wave of Covid-19 infections, meaning the teaching schedule could be further affected.

“We are really worried as face-to-face classes [would probably] not be able to resume in September. But the Education Bureau and exam authorities still haven’t come up with specific modifications in terms of the scope of the exams, which makes it even more difficult for [schools] to work things out,” he said.

In a statement, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority said it would discuss with the education sector and further review arrangements for the upcoming university entrance exams, with more details released after a decision was made by its public examinations board.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
×