An annual study of Hong Kong pupils has found that the “life-worth-living index” of students has fallen to its lowest in seven years at 6.74 out of 10, prompting experts to call on parents and educators to pay closer attention to early signs of poor mental health in children. The study by three local universities covering more than 3,500 students in primary and secondary schools also revealed about one in five pupils reported being bullied in the past year, with those experiencing higher levels of academic stress also reporting more incidents of being bullied.
Professor Ho Lok-sang from Lingnan University’s STEAM Education and Research Centre said on Wednesday the findings were “concerning”. The life-worth-living index among pupils has declined for the third year in a row since 2022, with researchers finding that the higher the grades of students, the lower their scores on the index. “A student would not find life worth living if he or she could not see a meaning or purpose [in life],” he explained.
“With parents putting so much emphasis on grades after the pandemic, the atmosphere has become toxic for students ...
who could lose their purpose in life,” he said, adding that “this mindset is linked to suicide”..
