Latest news with #secondaryschools
CNA
17 hours ago
- General
- CNA
2026 school year to start on Jan 2, end on Nov 20
SINGAPORE: The 2026 school year for all Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergartens, primary and secondary schools will begin on Jan 2 and end on Nov 20. Students in Kindergarten 2 and from Primary 2 to 6 will report to school on Jan 5, said the ministry on Wednesday (Jul 30). Those entering their first year in junior colleges (JCs) and Millennia Institute (MI) will start on Feb 4, with the rest of the JC and MI students starting earlier, on Jan 12. VACATION PERIODS There are four vacation periods for schools, JCs and MI in 2026. For MOE kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, the first vacation period starts on Mar 14 and ends on Mar 22. The second begins May 30 and ends on Jun 28, the third runs from Sep 5 to Sep 13 and the fourth from Nov 21 to Dec 31. JCs and MI mainly share the first three vacation periods as MOE kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. However, the final vacation period for JC students in Year 1 and MI students in Years 1 and 2 will be from Nov 28 to Dec 31. JC students in Year 2 and MI students in Year 3 will have their vacation period from the end of the GCE A-Level examinations to Dec 31. There will also be three scheduled school holidays in 2026:
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong students warned against ordering takeaway food during mainland trips
Students from Hong Kong should refrain from ordering food and drinks through delivery platforms during trips to mainland China in the new academic year, in light of reports that more than 100 pupils taking part in such tours developed gastroenteritis symptoms, according to a new official guide. Students were also advised not to go to the gym or use recreational facilities in hotels to ensure they have sufficient rest the following day, according to education authorities. The Education Bureau recently uploaded a document for schools in a 'frequently asked questions' format for such trips in the new academic year. Trips to the mainland are mandatory for a new core subject for senior secondary school students. The subject was implemented in September 2021 after the city's social unrest in 2019, to boost youngsters' understanding of mainland China and patriotism. More than 140,000 students joined the trip from 2022, spending between two and five days on these excursions. At least ten secondary schools reported that more than 100 students joining past trips had developed gastroenteritis symptoms, sparking concerns over food hygiene on the mainland, with Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin attributing it to the humid weather leading to widespread bacteria. In the new document, the bureau said students should not buy food from the platforms as the trip already covered their meal arrangements.
South China Morning Post
20-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese secondary schools use energetic morning routines to improve student happiness
Secondary schools in China have encouraged students to dance while studying. The idea behind the strategy is to stimulate the brain, improve their mood and reduce the feelings of stress that come from heavy academic demands. Several schools across the nation have used the 'passionate morning reading' method with their pupils. In video clips posted online, teenagers can be seen wiggling their bodies and waving their arms wildly while reading textbooks. In some schools, pupils stand still while studying but are encouraged to chant the text loudly. The activity lasts the whole morning study session, which is usually around half an hour. Some schools hold the energetic study session first thing in the morning. Hengshui High School in northern China's Hebei province is known for its military-style management. The school's morning study session can start as early as 6am.
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong students must remember grades aren't everything
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I refer to the article , 'Tuition and music: how Hong Kong's pupils got into their first-choice secondary schools' (July 8). I am happy for these children who got into their preferred schools, and for their parents. It's results day for the Diploma of Secondary Education exams today, and we're going to see more stories of laughter and tears as a new cohort reaches another academic milestone. If students' dreams come true, I'd like them to remember this is just the beginning of a new journey. There will be happy times and challenges ahead, and you may even get disappointed with your dream school because it's not perfect. But you will need to learn to overcome these setbacks. To the students and parents who are unhappy with the results: it's not the end of the world. Seize the opportunity to appreciate the school you end up in, where you may make new friends, meet great teachers and learn new things. To all students: while trying your best at school is important, it's equally important to enjoy childhood, enjoy the process of gaining new knowledge and learn to be a good person.
RNZ News
24-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Principals warn Education Ministry instruction on school opening hours 'not feasible'
Principals said secondary schools would struggle to find enough days in a year to operate under the new guidelines. (File photo) Photo: 123RF Secondary principals warn they cannot work with new Education Ministry guidelines that set a higher bar for deciding if schools are "open for instruction" . The ministry recently told schools they would not be considered "open for instruction" if only some year groups were present, or they were only providing supervision. Secondary principals told RNZ it was a serious problem because many secondary schools had a staggered start to the school year, bringing different year groups back on different days, and most allowed their senior students to study from home during secondary school exams at the end of the year. Secondary Principals Association Louise Anaru said if those days were not counted as "open for instruction", schools would not be able to find enough days in the year to operate. The ministry had told schools to continue with their usual practices this year but the new interpretation would apply next year. Asked by RNZ why the change was required it said: "While the regulations have not changed, the guidance has been developed to support consistent teaching and learning across the school system, making sure all students receive the minimum guaranteed time they are entitled to each year. "Further guidance is being developed to provide clarity for secondary schools around end-of-year arrangements and exam-related closures." The ministry did not say whether schools had been misinterpreting the rules and opening for too few days each year. The rules around school opening were based on half-days - periods of two hours or more in which the school was open. Schools had to be open for one half-day before noon and one half-day after noon each day of the school term. Primary schools must be open for at least 382 half-days and secondaries for at least 376 half-days, and no schools could be open for more than 402 half-days. Anaru said the ministry's guidelines would have a big impact on secondary schools. "We have sought legal opinion on it which also concurred that it just wouldn't be possible for secondary schools to comply with these new guidelines. "There's not enough days in the year to be open for instruction using these new guidelines and really it would just create a very confused situation for schools." She said the association's legal advice was that the ministry's interpretation was wrong. "The ministry's guidelines do not comply with the open for instruction requirements as part of the Education Act. It's an interpretation which is just not feasible for schools to implement," she said. Anaru said the association had not discussed whether to take legal action. Burnside High School principal Scott Haines said the new directive would have a huge effect on every secondary school in the country. "The new interpretation will have a seismic impact on both how this school, Burnside High School, operates and on how I think probably just about every other secondary school in New Zealand will operate because it represents a very different position and interpretation than has been the custom and practice for as long as I've been in education, which is now 25 years." Haines said a staggered start to the year was essential for a big school like Burnside. Under the new rules that would have to stop, or count as days outside the normal school year - but that would mean using some of the 10 days a year that teachers could be called back to schools when they were not open for instruction. "We're already leaning on those days with events such as parent interviews in the evenings, open evenings... so there's already a significant call on that resource. If the sense is that we need to rely more heavily on that then we're going to need more days in the collective agreement," he said. The guidance to schools also said teachers' collective agreements required unions to work with school boards to ensure schools remained open for instruction during paid union meetings. NZEI national secretary Stephanie Mills said its members recognised closing primary schools had a significant effect so it arranged its paid meetings accordingly. "We don't believe the situation with paid union meetings is even relevant to that guidance that the ministry's issued about 'open for instruction'. There's no change to the legislation in terms of their rights under the Employment Relations Act to paid union meetings and so we're just going to continue with business as usual," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
