Number of Hong Kong school leavers applying for admission to local universities hits fresh low amid ongoing protests in city

Figures from Joint University Programme Admissions System show 41,238 applications were received for 2020 school year, down from 44,054 a year ago

International education consultancy says inquiries about studying abroad have increased by more than 10 per cent since protests broke out in June

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Graduates join a flash mob protest at Polytechnic University in Hung Hom. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 7:30am, 13 Dec 2019Updated: 3:10pm, 13 Dec 2019

The number of Hong Kong secondary school pupils applying for admission to local universities has fallen to a new low after a years-long downtrend, amid the lingering social unrest that has seen tertiary institutions become battlegrounds.

Some scholars partly attributed the 6.4 per cent drop in applications for the 2020 academic year to the political upheaval discouraging students from furthering their studies locally, while an opposition lawmaker warned of an “exodus of talent” if the administration of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor failed to fulfil anti-government protesters’ demands, and return peace to the city.

The Joint University Programme Admissions System (Jupas) – the main route for school leavers seeking entry to local tertiary institutions – on Thursday released figures on applications for the next academic year.

Some 41,238 applications were received for the 2020 school year, down from 44,054 a year ago. Mainly because of a drop in the student population, applications have been falling steadily in recent years, from 69,172 for the 2013 school year to 46,346 for 2018.

Students at Chinese University protest for a class boycott. Photo: Dickson Lee

Lingnan University associate vice-president Professor Lau Chi-pang, said: “Some students may shun local universities because of the recent social disruption. Coupled with rumours that some local employers will avoid hiring those who graduate locally in coming years, it is possible the downward trend may continue.”

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