The Education Bureau announced today that all secondary schools should suspend face-to-face classes and all on-campus activities on or before January 24 until their Chinese New Year holidays.

The bureau said the move was made after taking various factors into consideration.

It noted that the epidemic situation in Hong Kong has become severe recently with a number of confirmed cases with unknown infection sources and invisible transmission chains in the community.

There have also been confirmed or preliminary confirmed cases identified in schools, resulting in compulsory testing and quarantine for teachers and students.

As preparations for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination are at a key stage, secondary schools may arrange for Secondary 6 students to return to schools for essential learning and assessment activities for no more than half a day with stringent anti-epidemic measures put in place.

This arrangement also applies to the level of students of schools offering a non-local curriculum and sitting for public examinations this year.

For other class levels, schools should cancel or postpone on-campus exams or other activities held in school premises.

Tutorial schools should also suspend face-to-face classes at all class levels until February 7.

The bureau said during the face-to-face class suspension period, schools will flexibly deploy various teaching modes to sustain students' learning at home.

Schools should remain open to look after students who lack carers to take care of them at home.

As regards the schooling arrangements for the period after the Chinese New Year holidays, the bureau will further deliberate and plans to make the relevant announcement by the end of this month.