Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School has defended its decision to hold an outdoor morning run for Form One students during an amber rainstorm warning last month, after a parent alleged a student contracted pneumonia and accused the school of ignoring health and safety concerns.
The parent claimed students ran on an open playground in the rain, arrived at homeroom class soaking wet, and were later dried with hairdryers in a laboratory. The parent argued that running in inclement weather could cause students to slip and fall, and that sitting in air-conditioned classrooms wet could lead to illness.
The school's investigation report, submitted by supervisor Theresa Chan, stated that there was only light intermittent rain on the day, no thunderstorms, and conditions were "far from torrential downpour." The school reduced the number of running laps due to the unstable weather and reserved time for students to change clothes. No reports of injury or illness were received.
The parent, however, claimed a student later developed a fever and was diagnosed with pneumonia, arguing that outdoor activities should be suspended when a thunderstorm warning is in effect.
The Education Bureau confirmed that the school had made a professional judgment based on actual weather conditions and did not forcibly conduct outdoor activities in inclement weather. The bureau reminded the school to follow safety guidelines and improve communication with parents.
