Announcements on school closure made on schedule: ED
In response to media reports on school closure announcements made during the passage of Typhoon Sally, an Education Department spokesman said today (Tuesday):
"There are standard procedures to ensure that the department's public announcements on school closure or resumption of classes reach the public in good time. The department's pledge is that announcements for AM classes and PM classes would be made no later than 6.15 am and 11 am respectively.
"At about 6 am, less than half an hour after the change of tropical cyclone signal from No 8 to No 3, our spokesman spoke live on Commercial Radio and RTHK, followed by an announcement transmitted via the Government Information Services.
"It was announced that whole-day schools and AM schools would be suspended, as road conditions were not stable and there had been reports of dangerous scaffoldings and fallen trees.
"At the same time, pupils of PM schools were asked to watch for further announcements to be made before 11 am. Thus these pupils have been alerted of possible resumption seven hours before their classes were due to begin.
"Safety of children, as reflected in forecasts by the Royal Observatory, together with weather and road conditions at the time, are taken into account in deciding whether or not classes should be suspended. Naturally, the desirability of keeping these children away from school despite normal weather and road conditions was another factor for consideration.
"Conditions were back to normal when all tropical cyclone signals were lowered at 10.15 am. Hence, a decision was made that afternoon and evening classes could resume.
"The announcement concerning afternoon classes was transmitted by group fax from the department's Information Unit direct to TV and radio stations at 10.36 am, 21 minutes after the Royal Observatory's lowering of all tropical cyclone signals, with the first announcement broadcast on RTHK Radio-1 (Chinese) at 10.48 am.