HONG KONG - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expressed her gratitude to the city's teachers on Thursday, the annual Teachers' Day, for their efforts to facilitate students' e-learning during coronavirus-induced school shutdowns.

In a social media post, the chief executive said local teachers' professionalism during the COVID-19 outbreak is admirable. She pledged utmost assistance for schools to ensure teaching quality.

Lam said she had asked the Education Bureau to study the feasibility of utilizing the Quality Education Fund to support electronic learning platforms upon suggestions by school principals.

Hong Kong's kindergartens, primary and secondary schools have been closed since the beginning of this year when the coronavirus spread to the city. A gradual resumption of face-to-face classes was interrupted again by a third wave of infections starting early July. Campuses are expected to reopen in phase from Sept 23 as the epidemic subsided.

The Education Bureau expressed a similar sentiment in a statement on Thursday, saying teachers had made great efforts to keep on trying, exploring and implementing various flexible and innovative teaching methods when on-campus classes were suspended.

"The EDB appeals to all students, parents and all sectors of the community to pay tribute to teachers on the Teachers' Day, and thank them for their selfless dedication, especially their great efforts and hard work in facilitating students to achieve the goal of 'suspending classes without suspending learning' for more than half a year," said an EDB spokesman.