Under severe academic pressure, more than 130 schoolchildren in Hong Kong attempted suicide between 2020 and 2024. The Education Bureau stated that it has implemented a “three-tier emergency mechanism” across all secondary schools in Hong Kong to support students at higher risk of suicide, and currently has no plans to increase the number of school social workers.
According to Hong Kong media Sing Tao Headline, on the 22nd, the Legislative Council member of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, Luk Chung-hung, inquired about student suicide deaths and attempted suicides over the past three years, as well as how many of those involved had special education needs, or suffered from depression or anxiety, and the causes of these suicide attempts.
Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin admitted that the authorities do not require schools to mandatorily report cases of students attempting or planning to commit suicide, so relevant data is unavailable. However, the Education Bureau has always required primary and secondary schools to report cases of student deaths. From the 2021/22 to 2024/25 school years, there have been a total of 93 student deaths in Hong Kong's primary and secondary schools, with secondary school students accounting for approximately 93% and primary school students about 7%.
Choi Yuk-lin pointed out that student suicidal behavior is jointly affected by mental health, psychological factors, interpersonal relationships, and academic pressure, and should not be simply attributed to a single cause.
She continued that since December 2023, the government has implemented a school-based “three-tier emergency mechanism” in all secondary schools in Hong Kong, aiming to identify and support students with a higher risk of suicide as early as possible. The government will continue to strengthen support for schools to jointly address students’ mental health challenges.
Regarding suggestions to increase the number of school social workers, Choi Yuk-lin responded that public primary schools are currently running a “one school, one social worker” scheme, and secondary schools have “one school, two social workers”. The government currently has no plans to increase the number of social workers, but schools can use existing subsidies to purchase additional counseling or related support services as needed.