Letters | On DSE results day, let’s ask ourselves: is Hong Kong producing happy working adults?

Readers write in about youth development, the legacy of Coco Lee, and fresh hope for Macau’s economy

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Pedestrians on a footbridge in Hong Kong. In a survey of workplace well-being conducted in February and March 2022, with respondents from 18 Asian and Western economies, Hong Kong was ranked among the bottom four. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 11:30am, 19 Jul 2023

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On Diploma of Secondary Education results day, I would like to say a few words as a past candidate in this cruel exam.

If DSE candidates pass with flying colours, their parents should recognise their hard work and not stint on words of encouragement. As for candidates who unfortunately fall short of expectations, their parents should not dismiss their hard work.

A candidate’s diligence or intelligence is not determined by a single exam. Failing to read the question properly, missing a word or two – these mistakes happen amid an atmosphere of panic in the exam hall. Words of comfort would help these candidates on results day; deprecation would only make them feel they will never do anything well.

Furthermore, parents should stop comparing their children with other people’s children. Some parents, upon finding their children are one distinction short, might ask for explanations where there are none. When parents demand and pay to have exam scripts rechecked and remarked, their children might feel suffocated or even resent their peers who are “better” than them.

Lastly, youth development should hinge on talent and interest. One of my friends wanted to study politics and public administration, but enrolled for medicine because her high score meant she had to study a subject that guarantees a bright future.