Coronavirus Hong Kong: unvaccinated students allowed to attend graduation events in policy U-turn by education authorities
- Education Bureau revises health guidelines for campuses, says all students, from kindergartens to secondary schools, will be able to attend their graduation ceremonies
- But updated guidelines insist on full vaccination before students can participate in sports days and swimming galas
Hong Kong education authorities have made a U-turn by allowing students unvaccinated against Covid-19 to attend their graduation ceremonies after a previous ban sparked an outcry among parents and children’s rights advocates.
The Education Bureau also said students should continue until late June to undergo rapid antigen tests on a daily basis before going to school.
Authorities on Thursday released the revised health guidelines for schools, featuring advice on how activities should be held on campus. It said all students, from kindergartens to secondary schools, would be allowed to attend their graduation ceremonies.
However, any students performing at such events for primary and secondary schools must have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine.
The guideline also required schools to shorten the duration of ceremonies and reduce the number of performances involved, adding that attendees should all face in the same direction while seated and must avoid face-to-face activities.
All students can also join other half-day large-scale events, such as parents’ days, open days and campus visits, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not.
