Hong Kong's deadly exam culture

Hong Kong is not alone in having a strong exam culture. The rise of "managerialism" - the application of the business model of accountability, efficiency and surveillance to education - has had a profound effect in many countries. Education policy has been affected by globalisation as governments prioritised economic growth.

In schools, monitoring, appraisals and a reliance on quantitative measures collected from student exam results have assumed greater importance than ever. The effect of this emphasis on exams may have dampened creativity, narrowed curriculums and encouraged "teaching to the test".

Many education systems developed from humanistic principles - providing a child with an education in order for him or her to live a fulfilled and happy life was what was important. This has now become secondary to the demands of the market.

Reports in Hong Kong about the continuing rise of the tutorial system are grounds for concern. Professor Mark Bray at the University of Hong Kong found in a survey last year that 54 per cent of Form Three and 72 per cent of Form Six students go for extra tuition after school, finishing so late that there is no room for relaxation, socialising or any other interests.

We should be very concerned about the effects of the exam hothouse we have created.

A recent interview widely reported in the British press refers to a similar situation in England. Richard Harman, chairman of the Boarding Schools' Association, said "good exam scores are important but the hothouse atmosphere and the paranoia that can create can be damaging".

What evidence is there for "damage" occurring? The Nuffield Foundation in Britain has reported rising mental health problems among young people, with a doubling in the numbers reported as clinically depressed. The British helpline ChildLine reported a 59 per cent increase in the numbers of self-harmers in 2010-2011, compared with the previous year.