The charter also emphasised that children should get enough quality rest and recommended schools should 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 catch-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 came after a written reply from the bureau to lawmakers that said 32 schoolchildren had committed suicide in 2023, the highest number in 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 pupils who suffered from mental health problems 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 difficulties had more than doubled over the same period, from 150 to 370.

The Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) published research showing the suicide rate among youngsters aged 15 or younger was 0.5 per 100,000 people in 2022.

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The rate rose to 12.2 per 100,000 for those aged between 15 and 24, the centre said.

In comparison, the rate in England for those aged 15 to 24 was 8.29 per 100,000 in 2019.

Singapore has recorded fluctuations in the suicide rate among youngsters aged 10 to 19 in recent years.

The city state went from 4 out of every 100,000 in 2019, peaked at 8.9 in 2021 and then fell back 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 pressure on students, particularly those adjusting to 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,” he said. “But their lives could be much different when getting to Primary One.”

“Stress for Primary One pupils should be reduced, so the transition from kindergarten to primary school would be smoother.”

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Chu, who is also principal of Ta Ku Ling Ling Ying Public School, said some institutions in mainland China and even Hong Kong did not have written exams for Primary One and Two pupils.

“Progressive assessments can be used instead. Students’ pressure can be reduced and their learning motivation will be higher,” he added.

Chu Wai-lam, the headmaster of Fung Kai No 1 Primary School in Sheung Shui, said that diversification of assessment formats would help children who struggled with writing.

“Their chance of scoring [in an assessment] might be higher,” he said. “Their stress might be lower and their sense of satisfaction can be increased, and thus improve their self-confidence and skills in expression.”

Chu said that public examinations in Hong Kong focused on writing and added the city would need to revise its methods of assessment in the long term.

“Assessment methods should be more diverse, instead of just relying on traditional subjects such as Chinese, English and mathematics,” he said. “Pressure on students, parents and schools can then be relieved.”