AI and economy fuel stress for 40% of DSE candidates: Hong Kong youth group poll
Nearly half of students also unaware of universities of applied sciences as group urges government to boost awareness of vocational paths
Fewer Hong Kong university entrance exam candidates reported high stress levels compared with last year, but nearly 40 per cent cited artificial intelligence (AI) and the economic outlook as their top sources of stress, a survey has found.
Releasing the findings of its “Further Education Planning Survey” on Thursday, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups attributed the pressure to concerns that AI would increasingly replace entry-level jobs.
The poll surveyed 1,241 secondary students, including 445 candidates of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination, from May to last month.
Among the DSE candidates, 45.6 per cent reported high stress levels, down from 52.9 per cent in last year’s survey.
“The slight drop this year reflects greater public attention to the academic pressure candidates face, more support from family and school, sufficient degree supply and technology helping students choose subjects and plan their further studies,” Andy Chan Ying-kit, supervisor at the youth group, said.
The top sources of stress among DSE candidates were concerns over personal competitiveness at 69 per cent, and uncertainty about future prospects, including AI development and the economic outlook, at 38 per cent.