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Coronavirus pandemic
Hong KongEducation

Hong Kong primary school urges government to rethink vaccination requirements for resuming full-day classes

  • The principal of the Yau Tong school has stressed the need for a return to normalcy among young pupils affected by the pandemic
  • With vaccines only available to children aged 12 and up, schools like hers will be unable to reach the threshold for resuming full-day classes

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A Hong Kong primary school has urged the government to rethink its prerequisites for resuming full-day classes. Photo: May Tse
Chan Ho-him
A Hong Kong primary school has urged the government to rethink tying the resumption of full-day classes to high vaccination rates, stressing the importance of a return to normal for students on whom the coronavirus pandemic has taken an emotional toll.
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Administrators at the Fukien Secondary School Affiliated School in Yau Tong said this week that there was a need to address students’ mental health issues, arguing that reduced interactions in school amid pandemic-related class suspensions had affected pupils’ ability to control their feelings.

The school’s principal, Eva Hsu Au Yee-Wah, pointed to the stable pandemic situation, and questioned whether a high vaccination rate was really necessary for primary school students to return to full-day classes.

“We hope more schools can return to normalcy, which is also many parents’ wish,” she said.

Most Hong Kong schools have been holding half-day classes in recent months, with full-day sessions banned from September unless at least 70 per cent of students and teachers are vaccinated.

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