Editorial | Giving up on Hong Kong’s school dropouts not an option
As more students skip classes, Hong Kong must ensure those children do not become life’s casualties and are offered ways to better themselves

That Hong Kong schools are struggling to cope with an array of challenges arising from sweeping education reforms is something to be reckoned with. The pressure can be so overwhelming that some ongoing problems may not be given the attention they deserve.
A growing trend for youngsters to skip classes is one challenge.
The problem is nothing new. But the situation appears to be worsening since the pandemic, with the number of chronically absent, those students who miss classes for seven consecutive days, rising to 4,500 in 2022-23 and surpassing 5,500 in the past academic year.
The surge marks a worrying turnaround from a fall from more than 6,000 in the mid-2010s to some 3,000 between 2000 and 2022.
While absentees account for less than 1 per cent of the 662,000 student population, an estimated 20,000 pupils who barely attend classes are also “at risk of dropping out”.
But most were not flagged to the government, local NGO Youth Outreach said.
The reasons children stay away from school, such as study stress, social anxiety, mental health issues and strained family relationships, are often complex and require specific efforts to address.