Alice Wu

How Hong Kong school suspensions and nano flats reflect a government blind to its people’s distress

In response to Covid-19, the Education Bureau is simply suspending in-person classes without addressing the worries of already stressed students, teachers and parents

In housing, the increasing number of nano flats reflects yet another instance of government inaction contributing to falling living standards

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A lull in coronavirus cases in September last year made it possible for in-person classes to resume in Hong Kong schools, including at Ying Wa Primary School in Cheung Sha Wan. Photo: Winson Wong

Alice Wu

Published: 6:45am, 11 Jan 2021Updated: 6:48am, 11 Jan 2021

Hong Kong officials have a real knack of making us do a double take. A recent “I beg your pardon” moment came last week when Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung announced that the suspension of face-to-face classes will continue until the Lunar New Year break, though limited half-day in-person classes will be allowed. In particular, Primary Six pupils can return to take exams.

Yeung must be aware of the stress students, teacher and parents are facing during this “new normal”, when classes can be suspended at short notice and seemingly on a whim. Coping with the uncertainty has been a challenge. Every knee-jerk government decision compounds the stress of ordinary families.

We’ve had almost a year of disrupted schooling. Yeung admits he understands that learning has been affected. In response, he is partially opening schools not so much for learning but for students to take their exams. For years, officials have told students that learning is more important than grades, yet year after year, they talk the talk and skip the walk.

Pupils get ready to take a DSE exam in a school in Kwai Chung on April 25 last year. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Non-establishment lawmaker – they’re not extinct, yet – Cheng Chung-tai took Yeung to task last Wednesday with his question on the impact of Covid-19 on students, raising concern over students’ learning progress and their physical and mental well-being.

The secretary’s written answer is the usual bureaucratese that amounts to very little: there are no plans to extend the school year or do anything more to address the learning deficit, adding to the stress of students who are not confident they are acquiring the knowledge they need.

Asked how the government plans to address the emotional impact on students isolated from interaction with peers during the class suspension, Yeung simply piled the pressure on teachers, guidance personnel and school social workers to handle any problems that may arise.

For added measure, his bureau has produced educational videos for teachers and parents, titled “Suspending Classes without Suspending Love in the Epidemic”, which just goes to show how out of touch policymakers are. Teachers are under tremendous pressure to make sure their students are learning and coping well. And the government’s useful answer is to make them watch videos.