Faced with the drastic drop in Hong Kong’s birth rate, introducing new sources of students to the city seems sensible and necessary. As an educator myself, I observe that mainland students have gradually become the mainstream cohort in many schools, especially those under the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS).
Even though the influx of mainland Chinese pupils is effectively saving numerous schools from closure, I would like to highlight a worrying issue – some students arrive in Hong Kong with a misconception, believing that the education system in the city is “easier” and that they don’t need to put in as much effort to gain university admission. Education influencers and agencies have, unfortunately, perpetuated a false narrative among mainland Chinese students and parents. These students seem to believe they can come to Hong Kong to escape exam stress and that it is easier to gain a place in elite universities here.
The learning requirements in Hong Kong and mainland China are fundamentally different. In Hong Kong, the Diploma of Secondary Education examination has relatively higher English standards, more open-ended questions and essay types – skills that appear to be less emphasised in the mainland’s education system. Many mainland Chinese students are not aware of the hard work needed to adapt to another education system.
