Covid-19 won’t last forever, but online learning here to stay, former Hong Kong finance chief says in predicting ‘new normal’ for education

John Tsang, who founded the non-profit Esperanza in 2018, foresees blend of traditional classroom teaching, remote classes going forward

City’s teachers have shown ability to quickly adapt, he tells Post, but resources still needed for lower-income families, including free Wi-fi

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Dividers separate students at Yau Ma Tei Catholic Primary School during their first day of face-to-face classes in months. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 9:30am, 27 Oct 2020Updated: 9:30am, 27 Oct 2020

A blend of online and in-person lessons is set to be the education world’s “new normal” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought face-to-face learning largely to a halt, a former top Hong Kong official has said.

John Tsang Chun-wah, who served as the government’s financial secretary for a decade before resigning to run for chief executive in 2017, also said he believed a bottom-up approach to pushing the government to roll out new policies is more effective than waiting for the administration to adapt to change and develop their own ideas.

The 69-year-old, who took up various roles in the private sector after losing his bid to become the city’s leader, founded the non-profit organisation Esperanza in 2018, with the aim of promoting the use of technology in schools.

Former Hong Kong finance chief John Tsang spoke with the Post about the future of the education sector. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The group has teamed with a variety of stakeholders in the education sector, including businesses, universities, philanthropists, and public and non-government organisations to host events including competitions, workshops and seminars.

Over the past year, the sector had been embroiled in controversies – from the arrest of thousands of students during last year’s anti-government protests to the deregistration of a teacher over lesson materials that touched on Hong Kong independence.

Covid-19 won’t last forever, but online learning here to stay, former Hong Kong finance chief says in predicting ‘new normal’ for education

John Tsang, who founded the non-profit Esperanza in 2018, foresees blend of traditional classroom teaching, remote classes going forward City’s teachers have shown ability to quickly adapt, he tells Post, but resources still needed for lower-income families, including free Wi-fi

John Tsang, who founded the non-profit Esperanza in 2018, foresees blend of traditional classroom teaching, remote classes going forward

City’s teachers have shown ability to quickly adapt, he tells Post, but resources still needed for lower-income families, including free Wi-fi