Hong Kong students returned to campuses for the new academic year on Monday, assisted by tightly coordinated transportation and safety measures.
From early morning, the Special Administrative Region’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre (ETCC), overseen by the Transport Department, entered the highest-tier steering mode, overseeing a smooth rollout of railway, bus, and ferry services for the back-to-school day.
Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-san reported that despite heavier traffic near schools, the city’s transportation network operated efficiently, while cross-border students’ commuting also proceeded without major issues.
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Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin set an encouraging tone at Tai Po Old Market Public School on Monday morning, where she attended the flag-raising ceremony and the opening assembly, calling on students to embrace the year ahead with self-confidence and courage.
“You can just set out now and get ready along the way,” she said, likening the first day to “the first page of a storybook” that they would author themselves.
Tang Tsz-ching watched her two-year-old son enter Hong Kong (Ascot) Preschool for his first day of kindergarten. “I’m pretty nervous,” she admitted. “I don’t know if he’ll cry – he’s never been away from mum and dad.”
The night before, Tang and her son packed his backpack together. “He was thrilled, stuffing all his favorite toys and stationery inside,” Tang recalled, while she prepared documents, snacks, and water as required by the school.
Health precautions were top of Tang’s mind. She applied mosquito repellent and patches due to recent concerns over chikungunya fever — a mosquito-borne disease that has broken out in Guangdong province, while 13 cases have been recorded in Hong Kong.
“Also, children this age are touching everything and interacting more. We give him supplements to boost immunity, but I trust the school will take good care of him,” Tang added.
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Tang also noted that her son, who was born in September, will soon take part in a space-exploration-themed birthday party at school — an icebreaker she believes will help him settle in. Older kindergarten classes will visit patriotic education exhibitions.
Looking ahead, Tang sounded hopeful, optimistic for her son’s future growth in his first-ever school. “It’s a new beginning for both of us,” she said.
In a social media post on Sunday, Choi advised schools to make the most of the opportunity presented by the upcoming 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the global defeat of fascism, nurturing a sense of belonging to the country and a national identity among children from an early age.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
