๐ School closures 'inevitable' in the face of falling enrolment
In other news, Hong Kong's poverty rate hits a 12-year high but the government sees differently...
Good morning,
Going to college in the US while writing for High Tide has really messed up my spelling (American vs. British).
Today, I spent way too long getting confused about โenrolmentโ vs. โenrollmentโโฆ
~ Sze Yu
On Todayโs Tide:
Hong Kong schools facing falling enrolment
COVID testing frenzy in TST and Discovery Bay
Poverty rate hits 12-year high
Events & Exhibitions
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Street sleepers sue the government
Other news & updates!
Hong Kong schools facing falling enrolment
Dozens of primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong are facing inevitable closures as a result of declining enrolment, says president of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers. The drop in new pupils has been attributed to the recent wave of emigration, the cityโs low birth rate and the loss of cross-border students who are unable to enter Hong Kong due to travel restrictions.
Since the introduction of the National Security Law in mid-2020, data from the Census and Statistics Department in August showed nearly 90,000 residents (1.2% of the cityโs population) left Hong Kong during the year. The Education Bureau projects the number of six-year-olds to drop 14.5% and the number of 12-year-olds to drop 5% from 2022 to 2029.
Wong said he expects the number of school closures to be in the โdouble digitsโ.
COVID news
Coronavirus in Hong Kong
New cases:ย 5 (imported)
Large-scale testing in Discovery Bay and TST
A Cathay Pacific pilot living in Discovery Bay recently tested positive for COVID-19, sparking a compulsory Covid-19 screening exercise on Wednesday. Anybody who visited Cali-Mex Bar & Grill in Siena Avenue, buses serving a route between Discovery Bay Plaza and Tung Chung railway station, as well as the townโs pier and Discovery Bay International School were required to get tested.
A residential building in TST was also put under lockdown after a resident tested positive. No COVID-19 infections were found. In related news, travel from New Zealand has been upgraded to medium-risk, meaning incoming travelers are subject to a 14-day quarantine.
Poverty rate hits 12-year high
The annual Poverty Situation Report, released on Wednesday, revealed that Hong Kongโs poverty rate (now one in five) has hit its highest point since record-keeping began 12 years ago. The government attempted to direct focus towards its โpost-intervention poverty rateโ of 7.9%, calculated using data after taking into effect the governmentโs policies of recurrent cash handouts and other fiscal stimulus.
โPoor people have been hit the hardest during the year of the pandemic, from job losses to underemployment and homelessness. The government must not turn a blind eye to the serious findings in its own report,โ said Sze Lai-shan, representative of the Society for Community Organisation. Sze also claimed that last yearโs mass unemployment was a direct result of the governmentโs tough social distancing policies.
Events & Exhibitions
Our events are handpicked from public exhibitions, partnerships/collaborations and also just stuff we find cool. We want to make sure that what we advertise is interesting for our readers, so if you go to an event that you saw here, let us know by taking a selfie and tagging us on Twitter or Instagram ( both @harbourtimes ).
Weโll throw in a free month of Paid High Tide for yourself or a friend!
Jewish Film Festival
One of the films featured at this upcoming festival is โOutremont and the Hasidimโ, a Canadian film centred around a community of Orthodox Jews living in Montreal.
Day of the Dead โ Art Alive
From the Twitter account of the Consulate of Mexico to HK: โBuilding on the concept of the traditional โAltar de Muertosโ, three Mexican artists have created original installations that incorporate digital art, video and sound, bringing a contemporary perspective on this important festivity.โ
When: 2-12 November, 2021 between 9AM-1PM and 3PM-5PM
Where: 2507-2509, 25/F Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Chillin Jazz Fest
Musicianโs Foundationโs jazz fest is back! Founded in May, the charityโs activities all support live musicians in Hong Kong. The first (much smaller) edition of the jazz fest took place in July, despite massive COVID fears and stringent regulation. Now that everythingโs loosened up a bit, what better way to support your favourite jazz bands than to show up and chill?
Where: Tuen Mun, Gold Coast Piazza
When: Nov 13-14; 12:30-6pm
Entry: Free!
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