Hong Kong schools lost 6,200 pupils in four months since summer holidays, Education Bureau data shows
- Latest Education Bureau figures released on Friday show there were 6,016 and 193 vacancies at secondary and primary schools respectively between August and end November
- More than half of the 824 pupils who left secondary school in November were from Forms One to Three
Hong Kong’s primary and secondary schools have lost some 6,200 pupils in the four months since the summer holidays amid a broader emigration wave, according to new official figures, with districts having more elite campuses hit the hardest.
The latest monthly figures released on Friday by the Education Bureau showed that there were 6,016 and 193 vacancies at secondary and primary schools respectively between August and the end of November.
The figures are generally interpreted as the number of students quitting government or subsidised schools.
In November, 824 students left the public secondary school system. Some principals have said it is rare for students to quit in the middle of the school term, which runs from September to December.
More than half of the withdrawals in November came mainly from Forms One to Three, while Form Six students, who will sit the university entrance exam next year, have the lowest numbers of dropouts at 65.
Kowloon City, which comparatively has more elite schools than 17 other districts in Hong Kong, reported the highest number of dropouts in November, with 118 pupils across Forms One to Six quitting school.
There are a total of about 550,000 students in primary and secondary schools in the public sector.
