Pressure on pupils, even in kindergartens, is too heavy

Schoolchildren are under too much pressure, say the city's top business and opinion leaders. The SCMP/TNS Opinion Leaders Survey found 63 per cent believed secondary students faced too much pressure.

More than 40 per cent of respondents thought the same was true for primary students, while 17 per cent said kindergarten children were under too much pressure. The majority also believed primary and secondary students faced more pressure than they did five years ago.

Parent Philip Yeung Kwong-chung, who has children in primary and secondary schools, said the pressure on children and their parents was intense. 'School life and home life are organised around exams,' he said.

He was not surprised that many parents opted to send their children overseas or to international and English Schools Foundation schools.

About 24 per cent of respondents' children went overseas for at least part of their secondary education, and 25 per cent spent some time at ESF or international schools in Hong Kong. In all, 84 per cent attended local primary schools and 87 per cent local secondary schools.

'Those who have the means will remove their children from the system,' Mr Yeung said. 'But this is not only because of pressure. In the cases I've seen, parents are not satisfied with the quality of education.

'They think the only serious study done by kids is towards exams. They know that in spite of the pressure put on them it is not genuine learning. The kids won't perform well once they are out in society.