Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu visited one of the free schools after-school care for low-income families last month. After receiving positive feedback from the participants, he promised to develop the program to benefit more families. Lee said it has helped foster family harmony, with children also reporting “good progress in all academic and social spheres”.
There is no doubt that we should celebrate the victories, even if they are small, but it is also important to examine the problems in depth. The After School Care Program, as it is officially known, is a targeted measure to reduce poverty. It aims to help families struggling with childcare and unable to work longer hours and earn more.
In the fight against poverty, this is only one of many measures that must work in collaboration with others. Having more time to work, with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your child is well looked after and school work is taken care of, definitely reduces the stresses that many families face.
But are children given opportunities to pursue extracurricular activities under this program? Besides helping them with their homework, could the program offer more, such as organized games or art lessons? The government must do more to give children opportunities that poor families cannot afford.
An interesting conversation occurred during Lee’s visit. One child asked him if he ever failed to do homework. Lee’s response was: “I’m too busy. I don’t think there was enough homework.”
Maybe Lee didn’t have enough homework growing up. However, students today do not need more homework. Health authorities have said they need more practice if anything. More time and space to play and participate in sports is better than more housework, which would make them stay longer.
