ISE01/20-21

• The outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") and the resultant need to maintain social distancing have led to extended class suspensions for Hong Kong's kindergarten, primary and secondary students in the first half of 2020. During this period, a number of schools have begun delivering lessons through e-learning.
• The Education Bureau has all along assisted schools to implement e-learning through various funding and resource support.^{1Legend symbol denoting The Education Bureau has been providing an annual recurrent Composite Information Technology Grant since 2004-2005 to all public sector schools, which may deploy the fund to promote e-learning. Starting from 2017, an extra One-off Information Technology Grant of around HK$200,000 has been disbursed in phases to support eligible public sector schools to enhance their practice of e-learning. See Education Bureau (2020d).} For example, the Hong Kong Education City^{2Legend symbol denoting The Hong Kong Education City ("HKEdCity"), a wholly owned company of the Government, was established in 2000 to serve and promote quality education and information technology for lifelong and life-wide learning. It provides information, resources, interactive communities, online tools and services to strive for innovative learning and enhance teaching effectiveness.} provides tools for schools to adopt online assessment, e-learning and other innovative teaching methods. Notwithstanding this, the pace of e-learning adoption by schools in recent years has been somewhat uneven^{3Legend symbol denoting Under the school-based management principle, schools can determine the pace of e-learning adoption according to their own needs. In the 2016-2017 school year, only 65% of primary schools and 66% of secondary schools had utilized e-learning resources across class levels and subjects. Added to this, it is estimated that only 54% of primary schools and 31% of secondary schools had utilized e-textbooks in the 2018-2019 school year. See Audit Commission (2018a) and Education Bureau (2020d)., 4Legend symbol denoting Although schools in Hong Kong have generally adopted HKEdCity's online assessment system, the use of its interactive e-learning platforms has been more limited. According to HKEdCity, only 14 schools have adopted the Virtual Learning Environment which enables schools to build a standardized e-learning platform for collaborative learning. See Hong Kong Education City Limited (2020).} due to the scarcity of reliable and suitable resources.^{5Legend symbol denoting For instance, there are currently only 59 sets of e-textbooks on the Recommended e-Textbook List for school's adoption. This compares with more than 530 conventional textbooks which are included in the Recommended Textbook List. See Education Bureau (2020d)., 6Legend symbol denoting The HKEdCity administers the eResources Adoption Programme to source quality e-learning resources and tools for schools from education solutions suppliers locally and around the world. To date, only 12 e-learning resources in the areas of "language learning", "maths and science", "multiple subjects", and "learning tools" are available. According to some participating schools, they have encountered difficulties in procuring e-learning resources that are suitable for their priorities in learning and teaching. See Audit Commission (2018a) and Hong Kong Education City Limited (2020).}
• The term "digital divide" refers to the disparity among social groups as regards their access to the Internet and other ICT devices.^{7Legend symbol denoting See Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2006).} In Hong Kong, 94% of households had access to the Internet in 2019, but the rate of Internet access for families with monthly household income below HK$10,000 was much lower at 71%.^{8Legend symbol denoting See Census and Statistics Department (2020).} Notwithstanding the Government's existing provisions for digital access, there are concerns that students from low-income families may suffer from the digital divide and be disadvantaged in e-learning, particularly during the COVID-19 epidemic.
• In Singapore, digital inclusion is an important facet of its digitalization efforts^{9Legend symbol denoting See Ministry of Communications and Information (2020).}. As regards education, the city state's policy is to enable its students to use ICT productively to learn, work, and go about their daily lives. A range of subsidies is provided to ensure near-universal ICT access for needy students. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Singapore government has consolidated its support measures, and plans to equip every secondary one student with a personal learning device by 2021.
• This issue of Essentials provides an overview on the digital divide among needy students in Hong Kong, focusing on the measures to reduce their barriers of ICT adoption and related issues that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is followed by a discussion of Singapore's measures to (a) provide affordable digital access for students; and (b) enhance digital literacy and promote digital participation in the school environment.

Digital divide among students in Hong Kong

• The Government's prevailing policy is to help students from low-income families to overcome the barriers of ICT adoption.^{10Legend symbol denoting See Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (2008).} As discussed below, the Government has since 2010 provided subsidies to ease the financial burden of low-income families in accessing the Internet and purchasing ICT devices for their children. Notwithstanding this, there remains a noticeable divide in Internet usage and ICT adoption by needy students. According to one study, up to 13% of primary students and 10% of secondary students did not have access to their own computer, laptop or tablet in 2018-2019.^{11Legend symbol denoting According to the University of Hong Kong (2020), the access to digital devices with a larger display (i.e. computer, laptop or tablet) are considered crucial for e-learning at home. Another survey conducted by the Society for Community Organisation in March 2020 unveiled that 28% of the 582 low-income students surveyed had no broadband access at home. See Siu & Chow (2020).}
• The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in extended class suspensions^{12Legend symbol denoting With the epidemic showing recent signs of subsiding, the Education Bureau resumed face-to-face classes in two phases in the second half of September. In order to reduce the risk of infection, face-to-face classes are conducted on a half-day basis with health precautionary measures put in place by schools. See Education Bureau (2020b).} for some 875 000 kindergartens, primary and secondary students in the first half of 2020. In line with the policy of "suspending classes without suspending learning", a number of schools have implemented e-learning to support students in home learning. Yet, burdened by their limited digital access, some needy students have reportedly encountered difficulties in transitioning to e-learning.^{13Legend symbol denoting See South China Morning Post (2020).} Added to this, their parents might not be able to work from home or lack the requisite knowledge^{14Legend symbol denoting A survey conducted by the Education University of Hong Kong in February 2020 found that 33% of primary school parents have expressed concern over a lack of relevant knowledge to guide their children's e-learning activities. See Education University of Hong Kong (2020) and 電視廣播有限公司(2020).} to supervise their children's e-learning. The prevailing digital divide might hinder the equal access to education by students from different backgrounds, and can be attributed to the following factors:
  
  

  (a)	limited scope of digital device subsidy programme: the Community Care Fund has since 2018 implemented an assistance programme to subsidize primary and secondary students from low-income families to purchase mobile computer devices for their e-learning needs.15Legend symbol denoting Since 2018-2019, the "Community Care Fund Assistance Programme - Provision of Subsidy to Needy Primary and Secondary Students for Purchasing Mobile Computer Devices to Facilitate the Practice of e-Learning" has provided financial support to eligible primary and secondary students who are studying in schools which have implemented e-learning and adopted "Bring Your Own Device". Under the programme, a full grant of HK$4,610 is provided to students in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or full grant of the School Textbook Assistance Scheme ("STAS"), and a half grant of HK$2,305 is provided to students in receipt of the half grant of STAS. The grant is used to cover the purchase of mobile computer devices and the related software, accessories and warranty. Under the programme, participating schools administer bulk purchase of the devices on behalf of their needy students. Yet, as at 2019-2020, only 32% of all primary and secondary schools have participated in the programme.16Legend symbol denoting See GovHK (2020a). This is because participating schools are required to implement e-learning and adopt the "Bring Your Own Device" ("BYOD") policy,17Legend symbol denoting According to Education Bureau (2020b), schools implementing BYOD should have (a) devised teaching strategies in using the device; (b) formulated an "Acceptable Use Policy" to govern students in using the mobile computer devices in school; and (c) advised parents to acquire mobile computer device for students to conduct e-learning through formal channels. and the latter requires students to bring their own ICT devices to school for learning activities. In other words, needy students who are studying in schools that have not yet implemented e-learning and BYOD cannot benefit from the programme18Legend symbol denoting With many schools seeking to continue teaching via electronic platforms amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has accepted applications by all schools implementing e-learning for their needy students before full resumption of class. See Education Bureau (2020b).;
  (b)	inadequate support for Internet access at home: the Government provides a flat-rate subsidy to low-income families to meet their children's Internet access charges for e-learning.19Legend symbol denoting The Subsidy Scheme for Internet Access Charges is administered by the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency. Eligible families are those who pass the existing means test of the Student Financial Assistance Agency and whose children are full-time students receiving education at primary or secondary level, or full-time students pursuing Project Yi Jin Programmes or equivalent courses of the Vocational Training Council. The granting of the full rate or half rate depends on the result of the means test. Eligible families receive an annual full subsidy of HK$1,500 or half subsidy of HK$750, depending on the result of the means test. There are views that some needy families - especially those living in subdivided units, old buildings or remote areas - may not have easy access to high-speed Internet services. More importantly, the flat-rate subsidy may not be adequate to cover the actual Internet access charges incurred20Legend symbol denoting According to the International Telecommunication Union, the average monthly fixed broadband Internet access tariff in Hong Kong amounted to US$21.4 (HK$168) in 2019. See International Telecommunication Union (2019).; and
  (c)	lack of programmes to enhance digital proficiency of needy students: from 2011-2012 to 2017-2018, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer ("OGCIO") engaged two non-profit-making organizations to implement the Internet Learning Support Programme ("ILSP")21Legend symbol denoting ILSP was delivered across 35 service centres, featuring the provision of computer equipment at affordable prices, Internet packages at concessionary subscription fees, and free technical and social support on using computer equipment and the Internet.. The programme provided free training and technical support on web-based learning to overcome the barriers impeding the digital access of needy students and their parents. However, some participants of ILSP reported that the timing and location of its services were inconvenient. There were also views that the training was redundant and not particularly useful. These factors contributed to ILSP's low annual service utilization rate, which fluctuated between 12% and 24%.22Legend symbol denoting The figures refer to the period between 2011-2012 and 2016-2017. See Audit Commission (2018b). After ILSP ended in August 2018, the Government has not yet rolled out new or improved programmes to enhance the digital proficiency of needy students.23Legend symbol denoting The non-profit making organizations - namely the Boy's and Girl's Clubs Association of Hong Kong and WebOrganic - have continued to provide similar services albeit at a reduced scale.

Promoting digital participation for students in Singapore

• Since 2014, Singapore has positioned itself as a "Smart Nation"^{24Legend symbol denoting The Smart Nation comprises three key pillars, namely Digital Economy, Digital Government and Digital Society. The government has taken forward various initiatives in the areas of urban living, transport, health, digital government services, startups and businesses, and strategic national projects. See Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (2018).} which nurtures students who are digital-ready and adept at e-learning. This is achieved by providing affordable digital access to needy students, infusing digital literacy and implementing e-learning in schools and at home, as well as encouraging wider digital participation in the school environment. According to the National Digital Literacy Programme^{25Legend symbol denoting The National Digital Literacy Programme is part of Singapore's effort to refresh its education curriculum so that primary, secondary and tertiary students will be able to acquire the requisite digital skills. It was launched in March 2020 and has been updated since the COVID-19 outbreak. See Ministry of Education (2020c).}, digital access and literacy are embedded into the school curriculum^{26Legend symbol denoting For instance, computational thinking skills are incorporated into the Mathematics curriculum at the secondary level.} so that students can use software and devices to learn, work, and conduct their daily lives.
• Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Singapore government had suspended all face-to-face lessons and shifted towards home-based learning from April to June 2020.^{27Legend symbol denoting See Ministry of Education (2020d).} Following the resumption of class,^{28Legend symbol denoting See Gov.SG (2020) and Ministry of Education (2020a).} the Ministry of Education ("MOE") has announced plans to enhance digital access for students and accelerate their adoption of e-learning. The cumulative features of Singapore's digital inclusion efforts for students include:
  
  

  (a)	providing a wide safety net of digital access: the Singapore government provides a relatively wide safety net to ensure that students from low-income households can gain adequate access to ICT devices. Under the NEU PC Plus Programme29Legend symbol denoting The NEU PC Plus Programme was first launched in 2006 to subsidize all full-time students aged 25 or below living in a family with a gross monthly household income at or below S$3,400 (HK$18,979), or per capita income at or below S$900 (HK$5,024). Students who receive the full subsidy are generally required to provide three to 12 hours of community service. See Infocomm Media Development Authority (2020b)., needy students aged 25 or below can apply for a subsidized computer and broadband bundle to support their home-based learning. Applications are made on a household basis and three tiers of subsidy - i.e. 50%, 75% or 100% - are provided depending on the level of household income.30Legend symbol denoting In general, households with two or fewer school-going children are only eligible for one subsidized computer. Reflecting the success of this measure, nearly 100% of households with school-going children in Singapore had access to the Internet in 2019.31Legend symbol denoting This marks an improvement over 2006 when some 14% of households with school-going children did not have access to an Internet-ready personal computing device. See World Bank (2008) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (2019). In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Singapore government has enhanced its digital access provisions for needy students. In particular, additional options of ICT access are provided so that (i) households with difficulties installing fibre connection may opt for mobile broadband instead32Legend symbol denoting The mobile broadband option provides unlimited data but is subject to throttle data speed after daily cap use of 1GB. See Infocomm Media Development Authority (2020b).; and (ii) families with three or more school-going children may receive a second computer;
  (b)	phasing in universal access to personal learning devices: in addition to the computer and broadband bundle, the Singapore government regards the access to personal learning devices as a prerequisite for e-learning. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, MOE has earmarked S$75 million (HK$419 million) to equip all secondary one students with their own school-prescribed tablet or laptop by 2021.33Legend symbol denoting The scheme will be implemented in phases with the ultimate goal of equipping all secondary students with their own personal learning devices. Device management software will be installed so that students could only access content that is conducive to learning. Needy students can receive further subsidies so that their out-of-pocket cost for the device is zero;
  (c)	developing and coordinating an e-learning platform: apart from providing the requisite hardware, the Singapore government has also coordinated the e-learning efforts of primary and secondary schools. The Singapore Student Learning Space ("SLS") is an online learning portal developed by MOE which provides a range of interactive and curriculum-aligned resources. Through their personal learning devices, students can access the platform for both classroom and home-based learning. Teachers can make use of SLS to perform collaborative teaching, provide targeted student support, and communicate across classrooms and schools.34Legend symbol denoting See Ministry of Education (2020e). In order to afford greater flexibility for e-learning, SLS also enables schools to add external learning tools or resources according to their own needs.35Legend symbol denoting See Ministry of Education (2020b). This interactive e-learning portal has been adopted by all primary and secondary schools in Singapore since 2018; and
  (d)	providing support for parenting in the digital age: amid the wider adoption of digital technologies for e-learning, the Singapore government has also supported parents to be more involved digitally in their children's education. For instance, MOE introduced the Parents Gateway mobile application to strengthen school-home partnership. The application enables parents to keep track of school announcements and their children's latest activities in schools. The government-appointed Media Literacy Council36Legend symbol denoting The Media Literacy Council was founded in 2012 to promote responsible digital citizenship. It comprises 21 members appointed by the Singapore government from across different industries and sectors. has also organized a number of campaigns and provided online resources to support parenting in the digital age.

Concluding remarks

• The wider adoption of ICT by students from different social backgrounds helps ensure their equal access to education. Yet in Hong Kong, the recent COVID-19 outbreak has engendered concerns that the digital divide might hinder the adoption of e-learning by needy students. Compared with Hong Kong, Singapore has casted a wider safety net to ensure that needy students have adequate access to the Internet, computer, and other personal learning devices. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Singapore government has further consolidated its digital access measures. Needy students may now opt for mobile instead of fixed broadband and/or a second computer if the family has more than two school-going children. Furthermore, MOE has announced that every secondary one student will be equipped with his or her own personal learning device for e-learning by 2021.

Prepared by Charlie LAM
Research Office
Information Services Division
Legislative Council Secretariat
20 October 2020