Mental aid for students trapped at home urged

Hong Kong parents have urged schools and the government to provide psychological counseling for children and financial aid for families after students were reported to have suffered emotional distress from being confined to their homes since early last month because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The government said on Tuesday that schools might not be able to fully resume classes as scheduled on April 20 in view of the growing threat from the disease.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting that based on the advice of experts, it might not be possible for classes to resume as planned by the Education Bureau.

She said that even if the epidemic stabilizes to the point that would allow classes to resume, resumption could only be carried out in phases, starting with students in senior secondary schools.

Thus, the likelihood of primary school and kindergarten students returning to the classroom in the next one to two months is quite slim, Lam said.

Li Sai-wing, a father of two children, expressed support and understanding for the new arrangement, but said he's worried about his daughter's mental distress after a long period of confinement at home.

After kindergartens suspended classes, Li said he found his 4-year-old daughter depressed because she missed her classmates and teachers.

"She felt bored and impatient staying at home," he said.

"For such kids, they don't understand why, all of a sudden, they have to stay at home from day to day, without friends or teachers, except family members, to play with them," said Li.

He urged schools and kindergartens to look after the mental health of students, monitor their emotional state and provide them with counseling services during this period.

The mother of a first-year primary school student expressed similar worries, saying her son has had little opportunity to play with his peers in the past two months.

"He spends much of his time on the internet and the smartphone every day, sometimes for online learning and, sometimes, entertainment," she said, worried about the damage that might be caused to her child's eyesight.

The mother hopes that schools and teachers can provide psychological counseling or guidance to help students stay positive.

She lamented she had to stop working for the time being to keep her son company all day long. Without any income for the past two months, she hopes the government will grant special subsidies to families like hers to help them overcome their financial hardship.