About four in five low-income families in Hong Kong cannot afford computers for their children to take e-learning classes at home while schools are closed because of theThe survey, by the pressure group Alliance for Children Development Rights, also found cases in which students had to share their parents’ mobile phones with their siblings to take the classes.
Findings showed some 80.2% of the parents said their children did not have a computer or tablet for e-learning. And about 18.6% said they did not have WiFi at home. Those receiving comprehensive social security assistance or a full textbook grant will get the maximum subsidy of HK$4,740 each. For students getting a half grant, the subsidy is up to HK$2,370 .
“The easiest way is for the government to relax the application criteria to allow needy schoolchildren to apply directly to the Education Bureau.” Wong said schools appreciated the difficulties needy children faced and hoped welfare groups could run more programmes to donate second-hand devices to low-income families.