For many students studying in private boarding schools in the UK, this year's Lunar New Year should be a happy occasion. This is because this semester's Half Term coincides with this year's Lunar New Year, allowing many students to return to Hong Kong for the festivities. In addition to reuniting with family, the happiest part for them, of course, is receiving red packets. Generally, many students do not return to Hong Kong for Half Term, as the holiday usually lasts between 7 to 10 days. Just the flight to and from the UK takes up more than a day, not to mention the travel time between the school and the airport in the UK. For students and parents in remote locations, the cost is not only financial but also temporal.
What is Half Term?
In the UK, boarding schools have three terms in an academic year:
Autumn: Early September to mid-December, the first term of the academic year
Spring: Early January to Easter, the second term
Summer: From the end of Easter to early or mid-July, the last term of an academic year
Typically, there's a one-week holiday in the middle of each term, known as Half Term. During this 7 - 10 days holiday, students can take a break from their busy schedules, relax somewhere outside of school, catch up on or get ahead with what they've learned during the first half of the term, or work on catching up if they've fallen behind.
Besides the Half Term in the middle of each term, boarding school students also have three additional holidays: a two to three-week Christmas holiday between autumn and spring terms, a two to three-week Easter holiday between spring and summer terms, and a six to eight-week summer holiday at the end of the summer term. Parents usually arrange for students to return to Hong Kong for these holidays, but if they wish for their children to stay in the UK, they can apply for a Host family arrangement with the guardian.
How to Arrange Half Term
For many students and parents, every return to Hong Kong not only involves the cost of airfare but also transportation to and from the airport and time. Although a small number of parents arrange for their children to return to Hong Kong for every holiday, what other options do students have if not considering returning to Hong Kong? Most private boarding schools close their dormitories during holidays, so students can choose to stay with a host family arranged by the guardian or at a place arranged by their parents. Of course, all arrangements must be notified to and approved by the guardian and the school, as both the school and the guardian are responsible for the students' safety. Students cannot arrange to stay in hotels during their holiday.
In summary, every parent preparing to send their child to a boarding school in the UK must consider the arrangement for each holiday. Whether arranging for children to return to Hong Kong for holidays or to stay with a host family, parents should carefully consider and plan early.