Early pupil withdrawals during academic year drop significantly at Hong Kong’s elite secondary schools after emigration wave peak
- Exit rates slow noticeably at elite secondary schools, with some even lower than before emigration wave, according to review of eight institutions’ reports by the Post
- Subsidised Secondary School Council chairwoman Lee Yi-ying says vacancies have been mainly taken up by pupils from mainland China arriving after border reopening
The annual number of pupils withdrawing early from Hong Kong’s elite secondary schools has dropped significantly after peaking amid an emigration wave, the Post has found after reviewing reports from eight institutions.
Subsidised Secondary School Council chairwoman Lee Yi-ying on Monday said the numbers were noticeably softer in the last academic year, and vacancies had been mainly taken up by pupils arriving from mainland China after the border fully reopened.
“The pace of student withdrawals has obviously slowed down compared with last year and the year before,” said Lee, who is also a secondary school principal.
“The situation is no longer as severe. However, schools still experienced some student losses due to emigration.”
In some cases, the exit rates were even lower than just before the emigration wave began around 2020-21, with one school reporting zero withdrawals.
