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He advised schools to draw up a contingency plan in advance to deal with the closure of schools or suspension of classes owing to rapidly deteriorating weather.
Schools should inform teachers, pupils and parents of all arrangements to be made in bad weather at the beginning of each school year, the spokesman said.
"However, in times of severe local weather affecting road conditions, landslides or unfavourable road traffic conditions, parents should use their discretion in deciding whether or not to send their children to school.
"Principals of kindergartens and schools should also exercise their discretion to close their schools when local weather or road conditions may endanger students' safety on their way to and from schools," the spokesman said.
He advised schools to make alternative arrangements regarding internal tests or examinations for those pupils who could not return to school or were late for schools because of bad weather or adverse road conditions.
Schools should also reassure parents that their children would not be penalised under such circumstances, the spokesman said.
Whenever No. 3 or amber signal is issued, the Education Department's Emergency Duty Team will be activated and operate from 5.45 am to 6 pm on a school day.
:
Last year, the Education Department's Emergency Duty Team was activated 18 times when a tropical cyclone and 17 rainstorm warnings were issued.
End
1.
No referrals to private practitioners
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In response to media enquiries on whether pupils are referred to private ophthalmologists/optometrists for assessment, a spokesman for the Education Department said today (Thursday):
"The Education Department does not refer, or introduce, any pupil to individual private practitioners for ophthalmic/optometric assessment.