Long study hours for Hong Kong students will only kill their appetite for learning
Sun Kwok says local students are subject to such an overload of work and study, both in class and after class, that they are already exhausted by the time they get to university
University should be the best time of a young person’s life. You are at the peak of your physical and mental abilities. You are part of a community filled with scholars of the highest calibre. You are among peers who are your intellectual equals and have been through a highly selective process to enter this institution. You are exposed to the excitement of arts, literature, science and technology that challenge your mind to the fullest. Students entering university should be filled with excitement about an adventure that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
But these are not the reactions that I encounter among freshmen entering the universities in Hong Kong.
The most common sentiment that I have observed is relief. Students are glad that the days of studying are behind them. The hard work, the burden of learning and pressure of exams are over. When I ask incoming students what they look forward to, the most common answer I receive is “having fun in the halls”.
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As a professor who taught for almost 30 years in Canadian universities, I hear such answers with great surprise and astonishment. The typical answer I receive from Canadian students is “to learn”. One might question how genuine this answer is; maybe they are actually looking forward to the parties and the alcohol. But they at least know what they are supposed to achieve at university. In Hong Kong, many students view universities as diploma mills, not centres of learning.
Why are our students in such a sorry state of mind?
After I found out more about the Hong Kong education system, I understood why. Before they enter university, students are subjected to such intense amounts of work and study, both in class and after class, that by the time they get there, they are already burned out. Once they get the entry ticket to university, they feel like they have “made it”. This is the end of the road as far as study is concerned. Learning is not the goal, but a means to get their hands on a university diploma, a meal ticket for a job.
This is most unfortunate. Today, we have excellent universities in Hong Kong and a lot to offer for students’ intellectual development. Why are our students in such a sorry state of mind when they are supposed to be enjoying the greatest opportunities of their lives?
The more I learn about the students’ school experiences, the more sympathy I have for them. They must endure long class hours, tutorial schools, private tutors, endless homework, and mock and real exams – starting at the age of not six or seven, but two or three.
