Editorial | Dealing with the dark side of Hong Kong school closures
- Suicide rates among the city’s young have risen since pandemic control measures were introduced and experts believe there is a link between the two
Society’s perception of young people’s education tends to focus on academic results. But schools also equip students with social and relationship skills.
That is a key element of personal growth and peer bonding during formative years. It is important to balanced development but is not subject to formal review by examination or assessment of outcomes.
A grim statistic linked to the pandemic – an increase in suicides among young people – has reinforced concerns about potentially harmful effects on children when they are compelled to undergo home learning in place of a face-to-face educational environment.
Suicides among under-15s hit a historic high last year with 11 taking their lives, a rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people, compared with 1.2 in 2020 and 0.9 in 2019. The rise continued in the 15-to-24 age bracket, from 8.6 to 9.3.
In the past academic year, four students under 13 and 28 aged 13 to 18 killed themselves.