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Ken Ip

When a tragedy happens, we look up from our phones, shake our heads and wonder how it came to this. Then, often too quickly, we scroll on. However, some events refuse to be dismissed so easily.
The recent incident in which a teacher died after falling from the rooftop at a primary school in Sai Kung has sent a wave of sorrow and discomfort through Hong Kong’s education community. It’s a wake-up call we can’t afford to ignore.
Teaching has always been more than a job. It’s the unseen engine of society, shaping the future, one child at a time. But what happens when the engine begins to break down? We expect teachers to be counsellors, content creators, administrators, career advisers, event planners and, occasionally, referees. And yet, for all the roles they juggle, who is really looking out for them?
It’s tempting to see such tragedies as isolated or unexplainable, but that would be a mistake. The pressures our teachers face are very real and mounting. The job insecurity brought on by declining student enrolment and potential school closures is no longer just a bureaucratic issue; it’s a source of daily anxiety.
In schools under pressure to “perform” and recruit students, educators – especially in under-enrolled schools – are expected to wear many hats. Teachers have described it as being asked to teach all day, then spend your evenings marketing the school as if your livelihood depends on it. In many cases, it does.


Add to this the emotional labour of supporting students with growing mental health needs, the burden of compliance with ever-changing education policies and a culture that still frowns on openly discussing emotional struggles, and you have a silent crisis. Society tells teachers to be resilient yet offers little meaningful support.
In private conversations, many teachers say they feel stuck. Their entire careers have been shaped inside classrooms, leaving them to wonder what options would remain if their school closed. For a profession tasked with inspiring confidence in young people’s futures, the irony is painful.
Of course, teachers are not the only professionals facing stress. But, unlike other sectors, education operates under the illusion of moral calling, as though passion should be payment enough and burnout is simply part of the noble sacrifice. This dangerous romanticism has kept the conversation stuck in sympathy rather than progress.
What should be done? First, we need to normalise the idea that teachers, like everyone else, deserve professional mental health support – not just after a crisis but as an ongoing, fundamental part of school life. Every school should have access to qualified psychological support staff for both students and teachers.




For its part, the Education Bureau must take a more proactive approach. A simple wellness seminar here and there is not a solution. We need structured emotional support frameworks which treat teacher well-being as foundational, not optional.
Second, let’s talk about teachers’ workload. If we’re serious about reducing teacher burnout, then we must cut the administrative clutter. Schools should conduct honest audits of how time is spent and strip out the layers of reporting, form-filling and “show work” that serve little educational purpose but add a massive mental load. Teaching is hard enough. Let teachers teach.
There is also a cultural shift required. In Hong Kong, as in many parts of Asia, the stigma surrounding mental health remains strong, particularly in professional settings. Admitting stress or anxiety can be misread as weakness or incompetence, a fear that silences many people before they seek help.
We need to create working environments where vulnerability is not punished but respected. That begins with leadership. Principals and school administrators must model openness, encouraging dialogue rather than suppressing it.


Finally, it’s time to reconsider how we define career security for educators. The landscape of schooling is changing so we must build support systems to help teachers adapt, whether through retraining programmes, secondments or smoother career transitions. The government should offer guidance and reassurance. Teachers shouldn’t have to live in fear that one demographic trend could end their careers.
There is a broader lesson beyond education here. If we can’t care for the carers, what does that say about the kind of society we are building? When the well-being of those who nurture our children is left to chance, we all pay the price.
Let’s not wait for another tragedy to “raise awareness”. Let’s raise support. Let’s move past platitudes and into policies. Let’s remember that before a teacher can lift a child’s spirit, someone has to be lifting theirs.
In the end, teachers are not machines. They are people – passionate, exhausted, hopeful and human. They don’t need applause. They need action.


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Education

Teaching may be a ‘calling’, but that should not blind us to the struggles of the city’s educators amid falling enrolment and dwindling career security


Teaching may be a ‘calling’, but that should not blind us to the struggles of the city’s educators amid falling enrolment and dwindling career security.


Mental health

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Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Hong Kong must care for its teachers before it’s too late

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Teaching may be a ‘calling’, but that should not blind us to the struggles of the city’s educators amid falling enrolment and dwindling career security

Teaching may be a ‘calling’, but that should not blind us to the struggles of the city’s educators amid falling enrolment and dwindling career security