Education Sector Calls For More Government Help

Businesses hit by the months-long suspension of schools and tuition centres rallied outside the government’s Tamar headquarters on Sunday to call for more relief measures, saying they haven’t gotten enough help so far.

Around a dozen protesters took part in the rally, saying they had been largely left out of the government’s HK$30 billion anti-epidemic fund meant to help people and industries worst hit by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

One man surnamed Ko said his music school had lost most of his business as a result of the outbreak.

Another man from the kindergarten sector complained that government subsidies don’t go nearly far enough to support schools that are still on the hook for huge expenses like rent and salaries when they’ve lost the tuition from many students who’ve withdrawn from the school.

Pro-establishment lawmaker Yan Chan, who has been helping the group, urged the government to set aside another HK$200 million dollars to help this group of people who she said have been forgotten by the Carrie Lam administration.

Earlier, education sector legislator, Ip Kin-yuen also called for more help for businesses like tuition institutes, education centres, part-time tutors and coaches who provide extra-curricular training for schools.

Speaking on RTHK’s Letter to Hong Kong, Ip said with the epidemic threatening to become a long-term global threat, the administration should use a part of its abundant reserves to protect people's livelihoods, and the economy.

“The first round of Government's anti-epidemic fund has fallen behind the situation”, he said.

“Many businesses have not been covered [by the anti-epidemic fund] and the impact of the epidemic on the economy and people’s livelihood is very likely to continue and become more serious”, he added.

Local schools have been suspended since the Lunar New Year break, with the government announcing on Saturday that they'll remain closed until further notice amid a recent spike in the number of coronavirus cases.