雙語社評齊齊聽

[英語 (足本收聽)] Presented by Dr CHAN, Danny Weng-kit, Lecturer of Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

[普通話 (足本收聽)] Presented by Dr MAO, Michelle Sheng, Lecturer of Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

After two years of ''abnormal'' school life, all students in Hong Kong will start the new academic year tomorrow (September 1) and be finally able to go to school under relatively normal circumstances. Because of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, full-day classes have yet to resume at secondary schools at the moment. It is hoped that such long spells of class suspension, which are detrimental to students' studies and their physical and psychological development, will not happen in the new academic year. But it is expected that from late September onwards, more and more schools will reach the threshold of a 70% vaccination rate required for the resumption of full-day classes. Schools and parents should encourage teachers and students to get the jab as soon as possible so as to enable more secondary school students to have more normal school lives. As for primary schools, the government should discuss the matter with schools to see if pupils can have more chances to participate in extracurricular activities. To a certain extent, some secondary and primary schools are affected by the fact that cross-border students cannot travel to Hong Kong to attend school amid the pandemic and factors like the emigration wave. The authorities should monitor the situation closely and provide proper support for schools. More effort should also be put into the promotion of small-class teaching.

[ENG audio 1]

Going to school was once taken for granted as a part of a student's daily life. Over the past couple of years, however, secondary and primary students in the city have spent little time at school and most time at home. When the school year started in September 2019, school campuses seemed to be surrounded by an unpeaceful atmosphere amid the anti-amendment storm and social unrest. As violence on the streets escalated later, secondary and primary schools had no choice but to suspend their classes. When 2020 came, the political storm gradually subsided, but the COVID-19 pandemic followed hard on its heels. All schools had to be closed for a long period of time and could only arrange for students to attend online lessons at home. In September 2020, due to the third wave of cases, all secondary and primary school students in the city had to stagger their classes. Shortly afterwards, because of the fourth wave of cases, most students had to return to online classes. It was only in May this year that secondary and primary schools could fully resume face-to-face classes.

[ENG audio 2]

An end to the global pandemic is not in sight. The return of secondary and primary school education to normal as much as possible is of the utmost importance not only to students but also to society as a whole. The government, schools and parents should join hands to promote vaccination of students. The Education Bureau announced at the start of August that schools may resume full-day classes 14 days after the vaccination rate has reached 70% for both teachers and students. Although so far no secondary school has formally applied for full-day class permission, teachers and students have indeed become more willing to receive a shot in recent days. Many schools have already achieved a vaccination rate of higher than 70% among teaching staff. The rate in government schools is even as high as 90%. As for the 450,000 youths aged between 12 and 19, more than 55% have also received the first dose. Given such progress, one may estimate that some secondary schools will reach the threshold of a 70% vaccination rate one after another later this month. That will have an effect of setting the benchmark for resuming full-day classes.

[ENG audio 3]

Local epidemiologists have pointed out more than once that the probability of an adolescent getting myocarditis after receiving the Comirnaty vaccine is only 12 in a million. Other side effects are also very rare. The government, schools and teachers should grasp the chance at the start of the new school year to explain the case better to parents and students to dispel their worries.

[ENG audio 4]

校園營造打針氛圍 盡早恢復全日授課

明天開學日，全港莘莘學子經歷了兩個「非一般」的學年，終於能夠在相對正常狀態下開學，但願新學年不會再有長時間停課的情況，以免影響學生課業及身心發展。疫情曠日持久，暫時仍未有中學可以恢復全日面授，惟9月底開始，相信將陸續有學校達到七成打針門檻，恢復全日課，校方和家長應鼓勵師生盡快接種疫苗，讓更多中學生能夠重過較正常的校園生活，至於小學方面，政府應跟校方商討對策，看看是否可以讓小學生有較多機會參與課後活動。疫下跨境學童無法來港上課，加上移民潮等因素，對部分中小學有一定影響，當局應密切留意情況，提供適當支援，並在推動小班教育等方面多下工夫。

[PTH audio 1]

學生回校上課，曾被視為理所當然的日常，然而過去兩個學年，本港中小學生卻是返學時間少，在家時間多。前年9月開學，適逢反修例風暴，社會動盪不安，校園亦不安寧，隨着街頭暴力不斷升級，中小學亦無奈停課。踏入2020年，政治風暴漸漸緩和，未料新冠疫情緊接而來，學校又再長時間停課，只能安排學生在家上網課。受第三波疫情影響，去年9月全港中小學生需要「分批開學」，未幾第四波疫情又來，多數學生又要再過「網課歲月」，直至今年5月，中小學才全面恢復面授課堂。

[PTH audio 2]

全球疫情無了期，中小學教育盡可能全面復常，對學生以至整個社會都極其重要，政府、校方和家長需要通力合作，在校園推動疫苗接種。教育局本月初宣布，若師生疫苗接種率皆達七成，校方14天後可以恢復全日授課，雖然迄今仍未有中學正式提出申請，不過近期師生打針情況，確較之前踴躍，不少學校的教職員接種比率已超過七成，官校比例更達到九成，至於45萬名12至19歲青少年，亦有超過五成半已打第一針，以此進度估計，預料9月稍後將陸續有中學達到七成門檻，踏出恢復全日課步伐，發揮標竿作用。

[PTH audio 3]

本地防疫專家已一再指出，少年接種復必泰疫苗後出現心肌炎，機率僅為百萬分之12，其他副作用亦甚為少見，政府、校方和教師應趁着開學，加強向家長及學生解說，釋除疑慮。

[PTH audio 4]

明報社評2021.08.31