The Education Bureau is working closely with the British Council and the Hong Kong Examinations & Assessment Authority to assist Hong Kong students studying in the UK who are stranded here due to cancelled and delayed flights.

As airports in Europe and the UK have gradually reopened, affected students should be able to return to the UK provided the situation remains stable, the bureau said.

The International Baccalaureate examinations are due to start in early May. The International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Office has agreed that if students are unable to board their scheduled flights, they can take the exams in International Baccalaureate schools in Hong Kong. Several schools will be willing to host the exams for these students, if necessary.

Contingency arrangements

The General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations and the A-Levels Examinations are due to start in mid-May. As flights resume, airlines are giving priority to students who need to sit for open examinations, so students should be able to return to the UK in time to take their exams.

The council is liaising with schools in the UK, the examinations and assessment authority and exam centres in Hong Kong, to explore the possibility of candidates sitting their paper exams in registered exam centres here if they are not able to return to the UK in time.

For students taking practical exam such as art, drama or oral language examinations, the UK Examination Boards have indicated that these can be rescheduled where possible.

No penalty 

As the situation is unprecedented and affects a large number of international students, UK schools will be reasonable and flexible in their response to students' individual needs, and students stranded in Hong Kong will not be penalised.