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For: Valerie Chiu, 15, St Mary’s Canossian College
Hong Kong curricula should include classes about the Covid-19 pandemic. The outbreak flipped our lives upside down and came with quarantines, vaccinations and an embracing of technology.
According to the non-profit think tank Centre for Global Development, the annual likelihood of a pandemic is 2 to 3 per cent. Classes would prepare students for the next pandemic and, ultimately, safeguard public health.
By delving into the recent pandemic, students will learn about the importance of early identification, disease alert and response systems, personal hygiene, vaccination and testing kits. Equipping them with knowledge about the pandemic will better protect their overall health.
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The Covid-19 pandemic also provides a perfect starting point for students who wish to explore medicine. Hong Kong has a shortage of healthcare professionals; attracting interest early can relieve this problem.
Considering our schools’ tight schedules, these classes would not have to be about an isolated subject. They can cover topics beyond chemistry and biology, such as economics and social studies. Students can learn how the pandemic affected teaching and society and what we can do to avoid adverse outcomes in the future. Analysing the recent pandemic will hone critical thinking skills.
Some might argue that every student today has experienced the pandemic and knows what it is. Young people can also look to social media platforms or the internet to learn about it.
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However, there is information online on almost every topic in the curriculum. We cannot expect students to self-educate and explore every one of these topics independently. The purpose of introducing the pandemic into class teaching is to show its significance and ensure that all students receive the correct information and education.
There may be concerns about who can lead these classes as teachers are not medical professionals. In light of this, the government should distribute resources and train teachers so that they are confident in sharing basic information about the pandemic and leading discussions. The government or schools can then arrange occasional supporting seminars led by medical professionals.
In conclusion, classes about the Covid-19 pandemic would benefit students and society and should be included in the Hong Kong curricula.
Against: Amina Seyd, 16, HHCKLA Buddhist Leung Chik Wai College
While the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly been one of the most defining moments in recent world history, making it a compulsory subject in Hong Kong is not ideal – especially for those already stressed about university entrance exams.
The first reason is that the pandemic is still a very sensitive and emotional topic for many people. For young students, particularly those in primary or early secondary school, encountering the pandemic again through formal education could be anxiety-inducing.
Many children experienced loss, isolation and social interruption during this time, and requiring them to relive these events again in a classroom setting could be more damaging than helpful. Schools should be a refuge for learning, not a battlefield.
Secondly, the city’s local school curricula are already packed with subjects and courses. Adding yet another required class would create a burden on students and teachers. Educators are already stretched too thin to accommodate current subjects; introducing another would take up valuable time and resources.
It would require training teachers and developing an entirely new curriculum, which may detract from other worthwhile fields such as STEM, language and arts.
Another concern is the potential for politicisation of the topic. The pandemic was not just a health crisis but also a political one. World governments and societies responded in remarkably different ways.
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Teaching at this moment could inadvertently introduce a biased or controversial narrative. It could lead to unwanted classroom tension and detract from education’s ultimate goal: to promote critical thinking and knowledge.
Lastly, Covid-19 is still an evolving situation. Scientific understanding of the virus, its variants and the pandemic’s long-term effects is constantly changing.
In short, while the outbreak was a serious event, it is not ideal to make the Covid-19 pandemic a mandatory subject in Hong Kong schools. It could cause emotional distress, overload an already crammed curriculum, and even propagate politicised information.
Schools should instead integrate relevant lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic into existing subjects or address the outbreak in an age-appropriate way that prioritises young people’s learning needs.
