Hong Kong, from the 1960s till now, has implemented multiple reforms aimed at reducing stress among students. Sadly, notwithstanding the huge expense and effort, stress among students has kept rising. Data shows that the suicide rate for people aged below 15 has climbed from 0.7 per 100,000 in 2014 to 2.9 in 2023, representing an increase of over 300 percent.

In 1962, the Joint Primary 6 Examination, which required students to take four subjects — Chinese, English, arithmetic, and general knowledge, was replaced by the Secondary School Entrance Examination, which dropped general knowledge. In 1978, Hong Kong replaced the Secondary School Entrance Examination with the Hong Kong Academic Aptitude Test, in the hope that students would dispense with the need to drill in Chinese, English and arithmetic. The authorities soon realized that schools, instead of drilling in these basic skills, introduced drills for students to outperform others in the aptitude test to earn preferred placement in secondary schools. In 2000, the government also killed the aptitude test. The Education Bureau thought that would take away the pressures of drilling. From then on, placements were based on internal-examination results after a standardization process. That was based on performance on a standardized test covering the key subjects of past graduates from primary schools. Since these graduates have already been assigned secondary school places, the examination in principle is low-stakes or even “no-stakes” as far as the students who take the examinations are concerned.

The authorities, in my view, have taken the wrong track. In fact, there are no problems with drills and examinations. Humans need drills in order to procure any skills, and education is all about skills and culture, which are in substance “habit formation”, a process that allows skills or attitudes to become second nature. Musicians, scientists, engineers, physicians, mathematicians, poets and athletes — none can achieve what they do without a lot of drilling and training.

Between skills and culture, culture is even more important because it has to do with one’s mindset. If one has successfully learned to acquire a “growth mindset”, one is prepared to pursue lifelong learning, and then learn almost any skills identified.

De-emphasizing drills and examinations paradoxically might even increase the stress level of students. When one has done sufficient drilling, one gains confidence. When one is deprived of the opportunity to train to acquire the desired skills, one becomes immensely stressed out.

There is nothing dreadful about examinations. Students dread examinations only because teachers, parents and peers all put examination results above the core interests of students. Examination results help us reflect on how well we have learned in class and in self-study, so we can keep improving our study methods and time management. Drills are necessary just as food is, but one can drill too much and eat too much. If examination results are not so good, perhaps the student did not have sufficient rest? Perhaps he or she did not revise enough? The responsibility of each student is merely to do his or her best, balancing one’s needs between rest, study and recreation.

Drills are necessary just as food is, but one can drill too much and eat too much. If examination results are not so good, perhaps the student did not have sufficient rest? Perhaps he or she did not revise enough? The responsibility of each student is merely to do his or her best, balancing one’s needs between rest, study and recreation

Examinations can become dreadful if everybody’s focus is on results. Educators are right in caring about results, but the main results that educators should care about are whether their students are motivated to learn, know the right way to learn, and have made the needed effort to learn. If they have, and yet the examination results are still not that good, they should review their study methods and time management, and see whether they have had enough rest, etc. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Teachers and parents should praise their attitude and encourage them to reflect on and learn from experience.

Disappointments are parts of life. We grow up by going through disappointments and learning. There is never such a thing as “one examination determines life and death”. Rather, there are many routes to pursue dreams, and there is always something to learn from less-than-satisfactory exam results, as we do from all setbacks.

Basic skills like language and arithmetic are of course very important. But more important is learning the life skills of time management, reflection, taking up responsibilities, and acquiring a growth mindset. With a growth mindset, one will learn to be fearless stay humble, and keep learning. That was really the central message when Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs advised: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” What he meant is that we all need to stay humble and never feel complacent with what we already know. Indeed, arrogance is the single worst impediment to personal growth.

I have cited the case of Mike Wallace, the famous CBS anchor who survived a suicide attempt, in my forthcoming book, The Economics and Psychology of Happiness. He said that the 20 years following his suicide attempt turned out to be “the best in his life”. That shows that suicide is often an impulsive decision that could lead to unrecoverable loss. It is important to know that knowing and affirming one’s self-worth that is based on a clear conscience can help dispel pressure built up from having to deal with unreasonable people.

The author is an honorary research fellow at the Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, Lingnan University, and an adjunct professor at the Academy for Applied Policy Studies and Education Futures, the Education University of Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.