A tale of two scholars

This is a tale of two students: Yvonne Cheung Yi and Angus Ku Yip-hung. Both attend free government-aided schools, and their parents recognise a good education is crucial for a better life. That is about all they have in common.

Though not representative of any group, their lives point to the growing social divide in Hong Kong, which now has the widest wealth gap in Asia (the city's Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, grew to 0.537 in 2011).

How will Yvonne and Angus fare in the paper chase? No one can say for sure, though a Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) study released in January suggests that parents' education level and background are factors in whether they will get a university degree.

But first, let's meet the two youngsters.

Yvonne is 12, an only child. She and her parents share a rented three-bedroom flat in Mong Kok with their helper. Her father, David Cheung Ping-hang, manages a mini-storage facility in Cheung Sha Wan, and her mother is a housewife. Both hold university degrees: Cheung studied visual arts in Australia, and his wife is trained in architecture. The family own a property in another district, which they rent out.

Having completed primary education at the private Kowloon Tong School, Yvonne now attends Form One at Wa Ying College in Ho Man Tin. Unlike many parents, the Cheungs do not send her for tutoring, although her mother does sometimes help with her homework. She likes Roald Dahl's children's stories, enjoys science and fine art, and hopes to become an architect - a profession that would combine both of her loves.

"I like to go to school to learn. It's not about getting high marks. I believe learning can solve many problems in life," Yvonne says.