Picture of the Day: Fight the Virus!

Inside this bag are tools for people to fight the virus!

I missed the volunteers -- or maybe it was Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor or Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu the other day when they were giving out the "anti-epidemic service bag" and was instead left with a notice from the district office telling me to go pick it up at the nearby government primary school.

So that's what I did this morning. After scanning the LeaveHomeSafe app, I was allowed to enter, and inside the gymnasium were staff who first asked people to fill out the form on the notice -- my name, the first few numbers of my HKID card and phone number, and signature.

Rapid antigen tests, KN95 masks and TCM

Once these were completed she gave me a white plastic bag tied in a knot with a giant blue sticker saying, "United, We Fight the Virus!"

Inside are 20 rapid antigen tests, 20 KN95 masks, and two boxes of "proprietary Chinese medicine" -- Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang. 

Each box contains 24 capsules "To clear scourge, remove toxin, diffuse the lung and discharge heat".

Ah but of course!

The dosage is three times a day, four capsules each time. If each box has 24 capsules, then the traditional Chinese medicine will only last for four days. 

I also received the e-voucher given out by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, but when I went to the MTR station to have the money topped up in my Octopus card, it would only top up enough to the maximum amount of HK$3,000 balance -- not HK$4,000 as promised.

It seems the maximum amount of money the Octopus card will allow is HK$3,000, so my actual deposited amount was about HK$2,930 as I had about HK$70 left in my Octopus card.

So now I need to spend at least HK$1,000 before I can get the rest of the balance owed to me.

Many people were confused today and an MTR staff member had to stand there and explain to each person why they got less than the promised HK$4,000 amount... 

Did no one in the Hong Kong government anticipate this would happen?

The Blame Game Continues

Lam says primary schools to close, more vaccinations needed

The Hong Kong government is definitely terrified of the Omicron virus and after three kindergarten children were infected by family members, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor decided all primary schools will be closed from Friday, while secondary schools will stay open.

Sinovac vaccines will be made available to children as young as five, but other pharmaceutical companies have not filed their paperwork to apply to be administered in children. Surely there should be a choice for parents to decide which vaccine they want their kids to have.

Young children are back to online learning

Today the Centre for Health Protection reported 21 new cases, eight of which are local. There are concerns there could be silent transmissions within Tuen Mun, making it a hotspot now, along with Sha Tin, Causeway Bay and North Point. 

However the good thing is that people are more motivated to FINALLY get vaccinated and now 75 percent of the population have had at least one shot. It seems the walk-in line just for those 60 years old and above is a good motivator.

Meanwhile the birthday-gate continues, with Lam believes the Spanish restaurant, Reserva Iberica in Wan Chai may have operated "well beyond its capacity".

"I'm sure the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will shortly release some preliminary investigations about the restaurant, whether this restaurant could actually legally operate with this sort of dinner gathering," she said.

The restaurant can have 240 people for a banquet

Reserva Iberica is a Type D restaurant, where the FEHD says it can have a maximum of 240 people at a banquet, and at least two-thirds of the guests must be vaccinated with at least one dose.

So far about 200 people have been identified as being related to the party, so unless it goes over 240 people, then it breaches the rules the government set. And were at least two-thirds vaccinated?

One thing the dining establishment could be faulted on is not making sure every single guest used the Leave Home Safe app, which is another requirement of a Type D restaurant.

Why is Lam trying to pile the blame on the restaurant, and also Cathay Pacific?

How about getting your own people in line for not using the Leave Home Safe app in the first place, and not wearing masks when they were not eating or drinking?

Hong Kong now has 75 percent with one jab

In any event what's done is done and now the city must do its best to quickly clamp down on Omicron. The best way to do it is through vaccination and social-distancing. There was also talk of allowing those who are fully inoculated to use a vaccine passport and have privileges like dine in restaurants or go to cinemas. 

There's enough punishment for all of us, why not reward those who already got the jab and already lining up for boosters?

In order to nudge people, they need an incentive and a vaccine passport would be a good way to increase the number of inoculations in no time...

New Teachers to Be Tested on Basic Law, National Security

Yeung says teachers may be tested on national security law

Anyone considering going into teaching in Hong Kong will have to know the Basic Law because they will be tested on it, says the Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung. This would apply to teachers for kindergarten and semi-private schools.

During a radio show, Yeung said ever year there are between 1,000 to 2,000 fresh graduate teachers for primary and secondary schools who would need to pass the new Basic Law test ahead of the new academic year in September 2022.

Public school teachers have already taken the test

"In the first step, we aim to [implement] the test across government-aided schools, because there are about 1,000 to 2,000 new recruit teachers there every year," Yeung said, referring to institutions largely funded and run by charity organizations.

"Then, we will continue to expand [the scope] to direct subsidy scheme (DSS) schools and kindergartens, and in the long run, teachers in other areas as well."

DSS schools are semi-private schools that charge tuition and receive government subsidies.

Basically that means every teacher that works in a school that has ties with the government will have to pass this Basic Law test. Public school teachers are considered civil servants and so they have already taken the test, which is a pass/fail.

"We have to work on national education, national security education, and we hope to foster students' national identity. Teachers have a role in guiding students and we expect them to have a certain degree of understanding of the Basic Law," Yeung said on Friday.

Yeung doesn't think flag raising taxing on teachers

When asked whether the exam might be expanded to include topics such as the national security law, Yeung said it would not be ruled out. 

Meanwhile, the education minister didn't think holding the flag-raising ceremony every week would be too taxing on teachers' workload.

He said the bureau is providing training and explanations on why this has to be done, and in any event more than 95 percent of primary and secondary schools have flagpoles already.

Sounds like someone who is ticking off his checklist in a diligent, precise manner.

Flying the Flag for National Education

Students to attend flag-raising ceremonies weekly from January

 

National education is being stepped up in Hong Kong starting on January 1, 2022 with schools having to hold the flag-raising ceremony at least once a week during the school term. Previously it was only for special occasions.

The Education Bureau released the circular on Monday though it made no mention of penalties for non-compliance, but that students who did not behave properly during the ceremonies should be stopped or removed from the venue.

It is hoped they will have greater national identity

The entire school must attend the event which is held on special occasions and on a weekly basis. For days like National Day, New Year's Day, and July 1, it's a public holiday -- so are students expected to return to school for the flag-raising ceremony?

Maybe that's why the bureau realized the flag-raising ceremony had to be held on days when students were in school...

There will also be a demand for more flag poles, as schools are asked to display the Hong Kong flag next to the Chinese one.

A bureau spokesman said the move aimed to "promote national education and help students develop a sense of belonging to the country, an affection for the Chinese people and enhance their sense of national identity."

Sounds like he was reading from a script.

International schools may join as well

The spokesman added that cultivating students' sense of national identity was one of the key learning goals of primary and secondary education, and also the educational obligation of schools.

Students are only missing the red scarves around their necks.

Meanwhile international schools are "encouraged" to also hold the flag-raising ceremonies.

"For the international schools in Hong Kong, as most of them have admitted local students, they are encouraged to refer to the requirements specified in the [circular], and display the national flag on each school day and conduct a national flag-raising ceremony weekly based on the actual school circumstances, so as to enhance local students' sense of national identity and deepen foreign students' understanding of the Chinese culture."

If international schools want to be in the government's good books, they know what to do...

 

 

Education Chief Insists No Significant Drop in Pupils

School may have started but class numbers have plunged

 

The Hong Kong government continues to spin, spi,n spin, hoping the more they repeat things, the more they become fact.

A few days ago Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor insisted there wasn't a crackdown on civil society groups, only that the national security police are investigating them to ensure they aren't violating the law.

Yeung insists there is no big drop in pupils

But the reality is that many of the groups are attacked by pro-Beijing media, causing the organizations to disband as quickly as possible in a bid to avoid further trouble. But security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung says the authorities are already investigating the groups even if they are dissolving.

So is that a crackdown or not?

Today it's a quibble about the number of students in the city.

Schools have reported cutting the number of classes, but the Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung claims this does not mean there is a huge drop in pupils.

Official figures show 66 classes have been cut citywide, and with each class having about 25 students, that's about 1,600 spots that were cut.

Many have gone overseas in past year

The Education Bureau expects some 60,000 students starting in Primary One this year. 

"I think there is some misunderstanding on the figures... Does it mean we are seeing a significant drop in students? That is not really the case," Yeung told reporters.

"It does not actually reflect the forecast of the [number] of possible Primary One students. What we will be doing by the middle of the month is a headcount of the new Primary One students, then we will know better [if there is] any major change in the population or the number of students admitted to Primary One."

But primary school heads believed the number of classes were cut due to many families emigrating this year, particularly over the summer, prompted by the national security law.

Another reason is mainland students who used to cross the border everyday to go to school in Hong Kong, have dropped out after months of online classes.

Cross-border students have quit HK schools

In July, official data showed more than 15,000 students had quit school in 12 months, with nearly 691,000 students enrolled in primary and secondary schools as of October last year, down from more than the 706,000 registered in 2019.

Meanwhile, figures from the Census and Statistics Department last month showed a net outflow of about 89,200 residents over the year from mid-2020.

Yeung however did concede there has been an increase in people leaving Hong Kong recently and children of various ages are moving to other places.

So how can he say there hasn't been a drop in student numbers? Of those 89,200 people who left Hong Kong, many of them must be children...

 

More Children Self-Harm During Pandemic

Children find it hard to talk to parents, leads to more arguments

The coronavirus pandemic has caused family tensions at home to become even worse, with some children even self-harming themselves to deal with the pressure, according to a survey.

The Hong Kong Family Mediation Association and the Junior Chamber International Lion Rock polled about 300 parents and 300 primary school students between April and May.

Concerns of children self-harming in survey

They found nearly half of those polled said they had gotten into arguments at least once a day and almost six out of 10 children said they hurt themselves or others to deal with pressure.

Fish Leung, the executive director of the association, said she hadn't expected so many children to harm themselves, and it revealed they could not find a way to release their stress.

She pointed out that traditional stress relievers, like sports or talking it out with classmates were not available because of social-distancing measures imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"Children's verbal language is not good enough -- that's why they don't know how to express themselves or mention their emotions," she said.

"If they tear their [hair] or hurt themselves, this pain will make them happier; happier than communicating with their parents. This is so sad."

She said since the pandemic started, parents and students have not actively been seeking help and schools have referred fewer cases to social workers, as school opening hours have been drastically cut back.

Kids need outlets to release stress and anxiety

Leung appealed to people to seek help at the earliest opportunity, as a buildup of pressure and stress could lead to suicidal thoughts.

It's absolutely tragic that children cannot communicate with their parents, nor know how to express themselves, and it is necessary their mothers and fathers empathize with them and acknowledge their struggles. Everyone has been under an unprecedented amount of stress for the past year and a half. 

Not only is Hong Kong dealing with a pandemic (and handling it very well), but what is happening to the city politically is shaking the city down to its core and affecting people's well being too.

 

Spate of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections Suspends Classes

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The Benefits and Pitfalls of Teaching Online

One teacher in his classroom, teaching his students from his laptop

This academic year has been a tough one for students, with the anti-government protests disrupting classes for a few months, and then now the coronavirus. I feel especially for those transitioning from primary to secondary school, and those in university, who are struggling to learn under these stressful circumstances.

So far schools are closed until March 16, but it could be extended further...

My cousin who is a primary teacher on Hong Kong Island has had it pretty good -- he just creates assignments online and then his students have to complete them. I asked him if he had to mark their work and he said, well they can check the answers in the answer key... how are students supposed to learn from that?!

This has been a tough academic year for students in HK

I'm glad I'm not a student in his class...

Then I have a friend in her early 50s at the gym who teaches English at one of the universities and she was stressed out learning how to use the software to teach her students online in real time. She has over 30 years' experience teaching in a classroom, but not from a screen from her laptop.

She had to go to the university to teach her classes online because she doesn't have a good enough internet connection at home, and there are IT guys to help her out if she has a technical problem.

However, she found it frustrating that students wouldn't turn on their cameras on their laptops so that she could see all of them or get any reaction from them because they were too shy to ask questions or didn't care to.

It's hard for her to know if they understood what she was teaching them because they hardly gave her any feedback either by voice or in the chat box.

But another post secondary instructor at another local university told me getting feedback online can work if you know everyone in the class and gently tease the students to show themselves online.

Learning and teaching online has had its benefits and pitfalls

"Some of them are embarrassed that their flat looks messy so I tell them they can put up a virtual background behind them. I do that too," she told me, saying she likes to put up pictures of space with an alien poking its head behind her.

"During one of our classes, one of the student's mom popped her head into his room and demanded that he go downstairs right away to pick up some toilet paper! she said in Cantonese much to his embarrassment," she recalled. Everyone in the class laughed.

After teaching them for a bit she breaks them up into groups and as the instructor she can "sit in" on each group without them knowing she is here. She said that they are all talking among themselves excitedly because they haven't seen each other for a while and were craving conversations with their peers.
 However she admits teaching online only works for certain courses, and so she needs to have a backup plan just in case not everyone is on the same page because they were unable to download a software program so that ended that class prematurely.

Teaching online has become an interesting forced experiment to see if the teachers are able to use the technology to teach, and if the students are able to absorb their lessons without having to be in a physical classroom.

Perhaps schools and universities will look into further developing this area of teaching (to gain more income) depending on which courses, as some are more effective online than others. And for teachers, it's been an experience to be in front of the laptop and being "camera ready" as we say in the TV business -- looking professional -- at least from the waist up.

Ice Boy's Woes Continue

Wang Fuman at home and back to where he started, but with much more cash

Remember "Ice Boy", the eight-year-old from Yunnan province who had to walk to school for over an hour each way and his hair and eyelashes were covered in snow?

After the boy and his father were taken on a free trip to Beijing, a private school with boarding accepted him, as the headmaster took pity on the boy and took him in.

However, after one week in the school, the headmaster told Wang Fuman's father to take him home because of the intense scrutiny from the authorities and the media.

Zhuanshanbao Primary School is an hour away by foot

It was hoped that by enrolling in Xinhua School Fuman could try to catch up on his studies, but his father Wang Gangkui was told to come pick up his son and put him back in the state school.

"i'm illiterate and I don't understand why this school has kicked us out," the frustrated father said Wednesday.

Fuman was confused as he liked his new school.

"The teachers taught better than those at Zhuanshanbao Primary School. Pupils don't talk in class and everyone is focused on studying," he said.

"I ate better too. Unlike at home, when my grandma is busy, my sister and I need to find food for ourselves... because we don't know how to cook, we just boil potatoes, but at Xinhua School I ate so many different things."

The headmaster of Xinhua School, surnamed Yang, said he offered to take the boy for free because he wanted to "do some good".

But the intense media attention and scrutiny from authorities put the school under a lot of pressure.

Fuman with his sister (left)

"At first, I didn't know... but later, I found out that Fuman had been identified by the Ministry of Education as a key figure to be helped in the government's poverty alleviation efforts. There are very few such pupils in the whole Yunnan province," Yang said.

"As a result, during these days of having him in my school, we have received numerous requests from various levels of government departments to inspect us. Many media outlets also insisted on interviewing us."

He said the school could not cope with the extra demands placed on it because of Fuman's attendance.

Yang said he still wanted to help the boy, but in a more low-profile manner.

When Yang sent the boy back, he gave his father 15,000 yuan and offered to help the family if they encountered more problems in the future.

Meanwhile Wang Gangkui isn't doing well either. He had been promised a job at a state-owned construction company in Zhaotong, But the company says it doesn't have any work for him at the moment.

It's really sad to hear Ice Boy isn't getting the help he really needs, let alone his entire family. It's understandable that while the headmaster wants to help, he doesn't want to be constantly monitored because he has such a high profile student. There were probably lots of expectations for Fuman to do well so that he could be used as a poster child for a poor kid who did well.

Wang Gangkui was promised a job and then no word

But surely someone can help the boy get a decent education -- at least he sounds interested in learning, which is not what could be said of some students these days.

And also how can a company at first claim to offer a job to his father and then later rescind it? How professional is that? Sounds absolutely ridiculous and a publicity stunt on the part of the state-owned construction company. Wang Gangkui had quit his job in Kunming because he had been promised work and now he has nothing to do.

So now the family is back to where it started, though it does have donations pouring in. But it's not money they need, they want jobs and an education. Is it that hard to help in that way? This fiasco proves that throwing money at the problem doesn't really solve it.

Trying to Preserve Tai O

Tai O fishing village is Hong Kong's "Venice of the East"

The other day I went to Tai O for a work assignment, and today I remembered there's a teacher there who wants to try to raise greater interest in the sleepy fishing village on Lantau.

Solomon Au Yeung has been teaching at the primary school there for the past two years and has grown to love the area -- so much so that he has started an IndiGoGo page to raise an ambitious US$150,000 to be able to rent a shop space and sell local souvenirs and snacks, and it would be the meeting point where guides could take visitors around.

On his crowdfunding page he writes: "As more and more of the locals are moving out for work, some of the traditional stores may have to close down once the original owners retire, [sic] it's a pity to see their products/handicrafts (which not only are of high quality, but more importantly, reflect the cultural value of the place) have to disappear all of a sudden..."

Solomon Au Yeung wants to help preserve Tai O's culture

He wants to set up a "Cultural Concept Store" to preserve the local heritage, and take tourists around on tours.

Sounds all neat in theory, but the reality is that so far no one has donated any money because he's asking a lot from donors who don't know much about Tai O. He should really be pitching the Hong Kong Tourism Board which has the money to help fund his cause.

But we admire his willingness to put himself out there and try to sell his idea to potential patrons.

Tai O used to be a thriving area with lots of fish and seafood that the villagers would make into salted fish, fish sauce, and dried seafood. Today you can see some stalls selling dried fish maw and conpoy.

A lot of young people have moved away from Tai O to be closer to town for work, and so elders are left minding the store (literally).

It's a very laid-back place, where you don't even need to lock your door, air conditioning is sparse and people get around by foot or on bicycles.

The only time the place is busy is on the weekends or special holidays like Dragon Boat Festival; otherwise it's a pretty quiet neighbourhood.

We'll have to check back on Au Yeung's page to see how he goes.

Here's his page: www.indiegogo.com/projects/building-a-cultural-concept-store-in-hong-kong-community#/

Fact of the Day: 28,000 Cross-border Students

Students going through border control check points before going to school

Did you know there are 28,000 kids who live on the mainland and cross the border everyday to go to school in Hong Kong?

In the 2010-11 school year there were 9,899 of them, and 24,990 2014-15.

Twenty-eight thousand is a staggering number of them, but also illustrates the demand for good education by mainland parents.

Today was the first day of school, and for some of them -- the poor things -- had a four-hour commute.

Four-hour commutes to school are tiring for children

They were up at 6am to take the school bus to the border at Man Kam To by 7am, but it took over an hour to get through immigration. Then to make matters worse, the school bus drive in the Hong Kong side took a longer route to get to Tsuen Wan Trade Association Primary School in Tsing Yi.

Those 20 students didn't arrive to school until 10.15am.

Another 40 students coming from Huanggang border point arrived an hour late, but it was 45 minutes earlier than last year.

The school principal, Chow Kim-ho, says the school admitted 50 primary one cross-border pupils this year, which made up 62 percent of the total intake in this grade. He said it would take about two weeks for the buses to adjust and arrive to school on time.

Up until 2013, North District schools were inundated with an influx of cross-border students and it was that year when the Hong Kong government introduced a separate cross-border school catchment area, where 122 primary schools in eight districts, reserved 3,000 spots for students.

School buses shuttle students to and from border points

Previously cross-border students would compete with local ones for spaces.

But some cross-border children who live closer to the border may have to go further into Hong Kong to go to school in areas like Tsing Yi, Tung Chung or even Wong Tai Sin.

Pity these kids who have such long commutes, and then have to go home, have dinner and do homework and then do it all over again the next day.

Their parents really do think the education system is better in Hong Kong, while ironically local parents would rather their children be educated in international schools if they can afford it.

Guess it's all relative...

Starting Early in the Rat Race

Parents must jump through lots of hoops to get their child into a good school

A colleague told me today that she's been busy every evening filling out application forms for her daughter to get into Primary 1, or Grade 1. She's finished 10 so far.

She not only has to complete forms asking for basic information, but also put together her daughter's portfolio that includes certificates and awards she has amassed in her entire five years of life.

Even more bizarre is that some schools ask the parents to answer questions too. Why do you think your child is suited to attend our school? What do you say? It's like answering a job application -- you have to research the school in order to be able to give a decent reply.

She joked that perhaps they were tricking the parents into answering the question to test them and not really the child.

Some youngsters on the first day of school last week

Then I suggested perhaps next they'll come and inspect your house to make sure your house is in order, or check out the food you're feeding your daughter, and that you're not harming her.

The hoops anxious parents have to jump through in order for their child to get a decent education is really getting out of hand.

Until the government steps in to regulate the situation, these schools are going to keep piling on the requirements -- and do they really need to go through all of that effort and stress? Just seems like too much, and yet this is about your child's future.

If you want to increase their chances of having a good education and hence better job prospects, they have to start off in a good school first -- as young as possible. And then they keep studying and studying and studying until they graduate from university.

Whatever happened to just being a kid?