Scrap written exams for primary pupils to boost mental health, bureau urges
Education authorities have appealed for primary schools to replace their written exams with alternative forms of assessment to help improve children’s mental health, while official figures have shown 32 students committed suicide last year.
The Education Bureau launched a mental health charter for students yesterday, urging schools to review their exam formats and frequency, as well as consider shifting away from written tests and cancelling semester exams for certain grades.
“In particular, the first semester of Primary One should include more diversified assessments and arrangements for more gradual testing in different stages of learning, to reduce students’ academic stress,” it said.
The charter also said students should get enough rest and recommended schools allocate about a quarter of pupils’ time each week to short breaks, lunchtime, recess and leisure activities.
“It is not recommended for schools to schedule make-up classes or subject assessments during lunchtime, to ensure that students have ample time to relax and have more opportunities to interact with peers or teachers,” the bureau said.
The emphasis on pupils’ mental health follows a written reply from the bureau to lawmakers that said 32 students committed suicide last year, the highest number in the past five years. “Student suicides can be attributed to various factors, mainly related to interpersonal relationships, including family, social or relationship problems, and personal issues such as learning and school adjustment, depressed mood and mental illness,” the bureau told legislators.
It also revealed that the number of public secondary school students suffering from mental health issues had more than tripled from 450 in the 2018-19 financial year to 1,610 in 2023-24.
Government figures also showed the number of primary schoolchildren with mental health issues had more than doubled over the same period, going from 150 to 370.
The Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong said the suicide rate among youngsters below the age of 15 was 0.5 per 100,000 people in 2022. The rate rose to 12.2 for those aged between 15 and 24, according to the centre. In comparison, the rate in England for those aged 15 to 24 stood at 8.29 in 2019.
Singapore has recorded a fluctuation in the suicide rate among youngsters aged 10 to 19 in recent years, going from 4 out of every 100,000 people in 2019, peaking at 8.9 in 2021 and then receding slightly to 6.6 in 2022.
Lawmaker Chu Kwok-keung, who represents the education sector, said shifting the focus away from written exams could help reduce the pressure on students, particularly those adjusting to reaching Primary One. He suggested alternatives such as simple worksheets or conversations to grade pupils’ performance.
“Pupils at kindergartens have short school hours and are more relaxed, without much homework or tests. But their lives could be much different when getting to Primary One,” he said.
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. You can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline. You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services.