Lee must regain youth’s trust to bring normality
Our next chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s primary task will be to lead Hong Kong back to normality. Recently, Hong Kong’s health chief said the fifth wave of the pandemic was under control, with case numbers declining significantly. Students began to return to school and public examinations were held as usual.
For colleges and universities, a number of programmes require students to take their final exams on campus.
At the same time, they must have received at least two vaccine doses to enter campus. According to government figures, the two-dose vaccination rate for the 20-29 age group is almost 94 per cent, while for the 12-19 age group it is 86 per cent. Why aren’t these figures higher?
One may argue that a handful of students remain unvaccinated for medical reasons. However, from my observations at work, a number of students are choosing not to get vaccinated because of animosity towards the government. They are mainly frustrated by the lack of upward mobility, which is driven by the decades-long decline in real wages and shortage of public housing.
As a result of their decision, these students will not be allowed to take some of their final exams, and will have to drop those classes to avoid getting an “F” on their transcript. This will delay their graduation, as well as their careers.
In his manifesto, Lee promises to enhance the education system and raise the competitiveness of the next generation. However, it seems clear some students disagree with government policy and are willing to put their careers at risk to express their disapproval.
To address their concerns, our chief executive must lay out a feasible plan for improving the career paths of our undergraduates. Today, they earn on average 25 per cent less than 25 years ago. The new administration should work to build a better relationship with our youngsters.
Without their trust, leading Hong Kong back to prosperity will be a distant goal.
Dr Marcus Liu,
College of Professional and Continuing Education,
Hong Kong Polytechnic University