'Schools Can Hold Online Events During Special Break'

Education Secretary Kevin Yeung said on Tuesday that schools will be allowed to offer online activities for pupils during their early "summer break" which will begin this month.

The government announced on Monday that kindergartens, primary and secondary schools will start their holiday between March 7 and March 17, depending on their level of preparation.

Speaking on morning radio shows, Yeung said the early break will further limit the flow of people in the community.

He said it will also allow pupils and teachers more flexibility when they take part in this month's scheduled compulsory mass testing exercise.

Officials have already inspected over 400 schools to see if their campuses are suitable to become testing centres, the education chief added.

He said schools can still arrange small-scale tutorials and activities for specific pupils during the break, as long as everything takes place online.

Authorities have said they hope classes will resume in-person after Easter, and Yeung was asked on an RTHK programme whether pupils would have to take a rapid Covid test before going onto campus.

“We have to see how the citywide testing exercise and the epidemic unfold. For instance, in the latter half of last year, Hong Kong experienced a long period with zero infections. In times like those, do we have to be as strict as we are today? I believe people will be asking for many relaxations then. So I think we have to see the overall situation in making our decision,” he said.

On this year's DSE exams, the education secretary said holding the tests from April 22 as planned will be best for students.

Yeung said he is confident that the exams can still take place as scheduled, saying a lot can change in two months.

Meanwhile, Professor Ricardo Mak, the Examinations and Assessment Authority’s director of public examinations, said they are still studying the arrangements as to how DSE students can show they have tested negative for the virus on exam days.

He said requiring students to do a rapid test at the exam venue may lead to problems, and one feasible option will be to get pupils to take a photo of their test result alongside their exam admission form.