HONG KONG – Hong Kong students at mainland schools will be given priority in securing a place for quarantine hotels and flights, allowing them to return to school before the new semester begins, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Tuesday.
This arrangement follows an outcry from thousands of local students stranded in the city owing to their failure to secure a place in quarantine hotels in Shenzhen in a lottery system.
Starting Tuesday, the students will be included in the additional compassionate people, which was originally devised for groups such as senior residents aged over 70, pregnant women and mainland students in Hong Kong, Choi said.
Starting Tuesday, the students will be included in the additional compassionate people, which was originally devised for groups such as senior residents aged over 70, pregnant women and mainland students in Hong Kong
The number of flights from Hong Kong to mainland cities will also increase. Relevant students will have priority in booking tickets.
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Students in need can fill in an electronic form online and submit it on or before Friday. The application requires students to provide personal information, such as their enrollment certificate and student ID card.
Speaking to the media, Deputy Secretary for Education Esmond Lee Chung-sin said about 18,000 Hong Kong students will enroll in higher education institutions on the mainland in the 2022-23 academic year, including 3,000 undergraduates.
Lee reminded applicants to double-check any information they provide before submitting forms and to check their email accounts regularly for follow-ups.
He called on students to prepare in advance as they may receive a notice up till one day before their departure.
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Lee said the special administrative region government will sort out students’ information as soon as possible and send it to the mainland authorities for identity verification and facilitation arrangements.
According to Shenzhen authorities, since mid-August, the Shenzhen Bay Port has recorded more than 4,000 outbound passengers on average per day – an increase of 52.42 percent compared with July – with the majority being students who study in Hong Kong.