Family Life Education Series
Our teenage children in the 21st Century
Youth Dropouts: School & Employment (Part I)

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Although recent statistics showed that our economy is getting out of the doldrums, and unemployment rate is declining, the community is still experiencing a reduction in purchasing power, and the labour market mainly consists of low pay jobs with long working hours. It makes things worse for the employment prospects of those aged 15 to 24. With graduates from universities and higher education sector coming on stream every year, the labour market is saturated further with educated and qualified people, and competition is keen.

The youth population is characterised with unemployment and school dropouts, posing a social issue for the community. They may be engaged in unlawful activities through temptation and association with triads to their own detriments, as well as those of their families and society. As parents, how should we deal with this problem? The answer is probably easier said than done.

The article provided by Dr Cheng Chi Ho, Associate Department Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences of the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, would shed some light on the subject matter. Part of the article reads:

"According to a report published in 2001, the Labour Department produced an analysis on the issue of youth employment in this decade, illustrating that in the process of economic restructuring, there will be (1) an excessive supply of unskilled labour; (2) a demand for highly professional people, and (3) miss-matching in jobs. The population most affected would be those born in the late 80s, who are ill prepared to accept the reality of this stringent labour market. Needless to say, the economy had 20 good years before its crash in 1997, when this population enjoyed a better living standard while growing up.

Another one to be blamed is our examination-oriented education system. The selection process starts as early as in Form 3. Following completion of nine years' basic education, teenagers are off to fight for their education opportunity in different examinations. The majority will be promoted to Form 4 and 5, but the Hong Kong Certificate Education Examination (HKCEE) and the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) will further cut out another percentage of the population. In general, only 60 to 70 per cent of this population will make it to university. What should we do with the dropouts?

Better off families may send their kids to schools overseas, but other kids may stay in Hong Kong for their higher education, and the rest would enter the job market. With the significant reduction in manufacturing business in the local market, fewer low-paid jobs are available. The unskilful labour population has been on the rise due to unskilful labour from the Mainland and migrants on family reunion quota joining the work force, and local school dropouts. Is the existing post secondary education helpful to our school dropouts?"

(TO BE CONTINUED)

(From PS & SR Branch Welfare Services Group)