No schedule to reopen schools, says education regulator

Despite working on guidelines for schools to reopen, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) said it is still monitoring the Covid-19 situation and has no schedule for the resumption of schools as yet.
The Higher Education Bureau (DSES) has also made a similar announcement regarding tertiary education in the SAR.
Both bureaus reiterated that an announcement would be publicized at least one week before school actually restarts.
Some higher education institutions in the city have turned to the Internet for a temporary solution. University educators, including lawmaker and professor Agnes Lam, as well as commentator and professor Camões Tam, have posted pictures of themselves conducting online video-teaching on social media.
On the other hand, the DSEJ is in contact with local schools with regards to the compilation of the guidelines, which will include health and hygiene measures, instructions on the resumption and operations of schools, creation of teaching plans, student assessments, as well as extracurricular activities.
The DSEJ pointed out that the guidelines are subject to change, depending on the development of Covid-19 and when schools reopen. The education regulator declined to give specific details on the guidelines.
Some teachers, parents and students have started becoming anxious as they are worried that students may fall behind in their education.
However, both the education regulator and Teresa Vong, associate professor of education at the University of Macau, dismissed the worries.
“Suspension of school, of course, has some effects on formal school learning because we are supposed to have students having all-rounded learning activities at school. However, I personally don’t think this – hopefully – short suspension will have much effect on the academic performance of the students,” Vong said, in addition to the DSEJ saying that a month or so of suspension will not have a big impact on a 15-year education. AL