London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

Hong Kong teachers’ unions call for quick decision on reopening schools

Hong Kong teachers’ unions call for quick decision on reopening schools

Kindergartens and schools suspended on-site classes in early December and campuses will not reopen until January 10 at the earliest.

Hong Kong’s two biggest teachers’ unions have urged the government to decide soon whether school campuses will reopen this month, while three quarters of educators want coming tests postponed if pupils are kept at home, a survey has found.

But an infectious disease expert urged caution on resuming face-to-face classes, saying it remained to be seen whether Covid-19 cases would rebound even as the city on Saturday recorded the lowest number of new infections, 35, since the fourth wave began in November.

Kindergartens and schools suspended on-site classes in early December and the Education Bureau earlier said online learning would continue when the new term started on Monday.

Face-to-face lessons are cancelled until January 10, but education officials have yet to announce any resumption plans beyond that date.

Educators and parents said the government should give them enough time to prepare for pupils to go back to school, which was likely to happen in phases and on a half-day basis.

“Schools should be given at least two weeks’ notice before face-to-face classes resume … so teachers and parents can prepare better,” said Ip Kin-yuen, vice-president of the 100,000-strong Professional Teachers’ Union.

Ip, a former opposition lawmaker who represented the education sector, added: “Even though most educators believe face-to-face lessons are more preferable and effective than online classes, health concerns remain the priority for many.”

Wong Kam-leung, chairman of the 40,000-member Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, said the bureau should make a decision quickly as schools needed to make arrangements for the rest of the month within the coming week.

Both Ip and Wong said the final decision should depend on the advice of medical experts as to whether it was safe to allow children to return to school.


There will be no on-site classes until at least January 10.


Respiratory medicine specialist Dr Leung Chi-chiu said authorities should wait at least one more week to see whether the number of infections rebounded following the Christmas and New Year holidays.

“Even though daily figures have been trending down, the prospect of a rebound and the detection of a more transmissible virus variant from inbound travellers from Britain means the government should proceed with caution when it comes to class resumption,” Leung said.

Meanwhile, a survey by the Education Employees General Union found that about 77 per cent of 230 teachers polled supported the postponement or cancellation of internal tests – usually held by primary and secondary schools in January – if face-to-face lessons remained suspended.

Releasing the findings on Saturday, the 1,000-strong union also said the survey, conducted last month, found more teachers faced increased stress because of online learning arrangements, as some schools had not responded to the government’s call to allow employees to work from home.


The Education Employees General Union released the results of its survey on Saturday.


Nearly 80 per cent said they were asked to return to their campuses to handle school affairs, with 60 per cent of respondents needing to be there two days or more a week.

In a reply to the Post, a bureau spokeswoman said the government would continue to seek advice from medical experts and maintain close contact with representatives of the education sector over the resumption of classes.

Eiffel Chau King-lun, of the concern group Hong Kong Parents League for Education Renovation, said many people faced difficulty juggling work and looking after their children at home, especially low-income families living in poor conditions.

“I believe we don’t need to wait for zero infections before classes resume, but it would be more desirable if schools allowed parents more flexibility after resuming face-to-face classes … due to some parents’ concerns of potential health risks,” Chau said.

“For instance, schools can consider letting parents decide if their children will return to campus without counting those who continue to learn at home as being absent.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
×