Extension and Enhancement of Jockey Club’s Bandwidth Support for E-learning at Home Scheme

18/03/2020 17:45

The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced today (18 March 2020) that it is extending its well-received Bandwidth Support for E-learning at Home Scheme (https://elearningsupport.hk/) for an additional two months and providing “Zoom classrooms - modern learning for the modern student” (Zoom classrooms)  licences for online teaching so that students can continue learning and connecting with their teachers as schools are now expected to remain closed for a longer period.

In line with its commitment to the community and its belief in continuous development, the Club has worked to facilitate access to online learning for students who do not have broadband. With the Club’s funding support of HK$42 million and through multi-sectoral collaboration, the Scheme is offering mobile SIM cards with data plans to over 100,000 underprivileged primary and secondary school students.

“As schools in Hong Kong are migrating to online teaching given school closure, many families without access to broadband internet connections are struggling to afford the sudden increase in mobile data bills. In view of this, the Club has agilely mobilised resources, proactively approached our NGO partners, and reached out to local mobile carriers to realise this initiative. Distribution of the free mobile SIM cards is being effected through school networks with help from the Government, and our NGO partners are providing coordination and social support in the process,” said the Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung.

“Such a public-private partnership demonstrates philanthropy goes well beyond the simple donation of money and includes the ability to orchestrate solutions for the public good,” he added.

Since its introduction, the response to the Scheme has been swift and strong. Over 710 schools, or two-thirds of all local schools in Hong Kong, are set to join. Within one week, some 50,000 mobile SIM cards have already reached the hands of students in need.

“We are very pleased to be receiving the mobile SIM cards and that there are dedicated friends in the community who understand data bandwidth is an important element of online learning. Together with our school’s hardware and teaching tools, we’re able to better support students’ learning needs during school closure,” said Principal Simon Tso of De La Salle Secondary School, N.T., one of the schools participating in the Scheme. 

The Club is working with NGO partners, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, to implement the initiative and with support from mobile carriers including China Mobile Hong Kong, CSL, SmarTone, and
3 Hong Kong.

The data plans were originally set to last for two months but given the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the expected longer school closure period, the Club has actively worked with its partners to extend the plans to four months.

Additionally, the Club together with 3 Hong Kong will be augmenting the Scheme by funding Zoom classrooms licences for online teaching. The Scheme will enable up to 1,000 local primary and secondary schools to obtain the licences for up to four months, assisting teachers to host virtual classrooms and thus enhancing opportunities for interaction and engagement.

Meanwhile, under its COVID-19 Emergency Fund, the Club is supporting a project initiated by Crossroads Foundation Limited to refurbish 500 desktop computers with new hard drives, webcams and licensed software. These computers will be distributed to students from low-income families with the aim of broadening access to learning tools. The refurbished computers are fully capable of supporting interactive classrooms, online learning and meetings.

For more information about the Bandwidth Support for E-learning at Home Scheme, please visit: https://elearningsupport.hk/

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2018/19, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$23.3 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.3 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity and community donations were HK$4.3 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com.

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  Principal Simon Tso (right) of De La Salle Secondary School, N.T. receives mobile SIM cards under the Bandwidth Support for E-learning at Home Scheme.