Coronavirus: Hong Kong school heads call for delaying mandatory student trips to mainland China, cite planning challenges amid infections
- In updated guidelines, Education Bureau says schools can resume study tours to mainland or overseas
- Secondary Five students are required to visit mainland as part of citizenship and social development, but educators ask whether trips can be postponed
Hong Kong’s educational authorities should waive the requirement that senior students take part in study trips to mainland China or at least shorten the duration of such visits as the Covid-19 situation on both sides fluctuates, principals have suggested.
Under updated health guidelines released by the Education Bureau on Friday, schools can resume mainland and overseas study tours, which ground to a halt when the coronavirus began to spread in early 2020.
“Schools should take into account the government’s anti-epidemic measures, the operation of schools, the anti-epidemic requirements of other regions and other relevant conditions, in planning their exchange tours to the mainland and overseas.” the guidelines stated.
As recently as November, the bureau said schools should not arrange overseas exchange tours, except for competitions, due to the risk of infection. The U-turn came after the government last week dropped almost all Covid-19 measures as it prepared to fully reopen its border with the mainland this month.
Secondary Five students are required to join study tours to the mainland as part of liberal studies, which is now called citizenship and social development after the bureau revamped the subject last year following accusations by the pro-Beijing camp the curriculum was radicalising youth.
The subject, introduced in 2009 to enhance social awareness and critical thinking skills, now focuses on encouraging national identity, awareness of national security, and the need to respect the law.
Lee Yi-ying, chairwoman of the Subsidised Secondary School Council, said she hoped the mandatory trips could be shortened as much as possible due to the fluid nature of the border reopening and the rising number of infections.
“The trips are aimed at letting students have an experience of looking at the mainland’s development. It is not part of an assessment. Why not keep the trip as short as possible?” she said.
