Cross-border Students Could Return Quota Free

Education Secretary Christine Choi said on Wednesday that the administration is striving to let thousands of cross-border students return to face-to-face learning in Hong Kong next month without being restricted by a quota.

The students have not been able to travel to the SAR to attend classes in person for three years amid the pandemic.

At a media luncheon, the minister said she estimated that 7,500 secondary school students and 13,000 primary school and kindergarten children will come back for classes after the Lunar New Year holiday.

But Choi said she believed cross-boundary school coaches would not be able to resume services by February 1.

She said officials are discussing whether companions of younger students can also be exempt from the daily quota arrangement for cross-border travel.

The education minister added that she hoped these travelling pupils could undergo rapid antigen tests instead of PCR screening.

Iris Liu from the International Social Service Hong Kong Branch said she welcomes the government's plan to allow cross-border students to travel quota-free.

"They have been doing online classes for the past three years, so they have an urge to return to school in-person," she said.

Liu added the government needs to address the challenges facing cross-border students, such as applying for travel documents and transport arrangements.

"We suggest the government to provide convenient procedures for travel document and ID card replacements, replacing mandatory PCR tests with RAT tests, and also reopen more border control points," she said.

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