A healthy environment awaits students from Primary 4 to 6 and special schools when they return to class on Monday, the Secretary for Education & Manpower says.

Speaking on RTHK's "Letter to Hong Kong" programme this morning, Prof Arthur Li said the bureau has considered all aspects in its decision to allow classes to resume. Although it does not have 100% backing from the community, more than a million teenagers' learning is at stake.

Prof Li noted that people in the educational field should make great use of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrom to educate the youth and strengthen the relationship between teachers and students.

Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary for Education & Manpower Cheng Yan Chee said on another RTHK programme, "Accountability", that, up to now, there have been 81 cases of students who contracted SARS. None of them were contracted in schools, she noted, adding that it is not a large number when compared with the total number of cases.

Mr Cheng added that schools will be suspended for 10 days if there is a student or teacher suspected to have the disease. Schools have also stepped up cleaning, to avoid the spread of the virus. 

He called on parents to play their part in class resumptions by taking their children's temperature daily.

He said the bureau would deliver 2 million small-sized face masks to primary schools and kindergartens, so that the junior primary students can use them. Four million face masks that had been delivered before are suitable for Primary 4 to 6 students.

Mr Cheng also noted that the schools should determine the arrangements for summer holidays based on their individual situation.