International schools in Hong Kong are already well adjusted to the distance learning even before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Distance learning in Hong Kong
Schools in Hong Kong has somehow got the hang of conducting online classes since it was first implemented during the SARS epidemic in 2003. Before the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong, the country already had some of its schools in distance learning already due to the protests all across Hong Kong.
When the coronavirus outbreak hit the country, some international schools in Hong Kong are still practicing distance learning because of the ongoing protests in selected cities. In addition to the practice of distance learning, several internationally accredited examinations in Hong Kong has been postponed indefinitely.
With several grade levels preferred to come up with class suspensions, the Ministry of Education gave graduating students from international schools in Hong Kong an exemption. Graduating students are allowed to gather in small clusters to fulfill the essential requirements for their graduation.
Different approaches from international schools in Hong Kong
In Nord Anglia International School, they are more into audio and text approach rather than video learning. The reason behind the school’s approach is to protect the personal interest of the students that might appear if in case of video conferences during virtual classes.
The Nord Anglia caters to students ages 3 to 18. There are two categories to their distance learning, pre-primary (ages three to six) and primary (ages six onwards). For pre-primary, the setting is more of a playschool scenario, which involves a lot of physical activities compiled in a manual that guides children in different fun and playful objectives.
For primary school students, the school has developed a virtual learning platform named Firefly. Here, parents get to decide when they want their children to start on activity that is already uploaded on the platform. This setup gives the parents the freedom to decide on when would be the most convenient time for them to supervise over their children as they work on their daily school activities.
Featured image by Microsoft
