HONG KONG – The Education Bureau will set up a one-stop hotline and online counseling services early next month as part of efforts to deal with school bullying, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said Wednesday.

Answering a query at the Legislative Council, Choi said that these services will provide students and parents with advice and support in handling conflicts among peers or school bullying.

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said public primary and secondary schools handled on average about 420 cases of student bullying per year from 2020 to 2023

“The Education Bureau has all along been adopting a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on school bullying. Any bullying act, irrespective of the form or for whatever reasons, is totally unacceptable,” Choi said.

“Through the hotline and online services, duty counsellors and registered social workers will provide advice and counselling services for students and parents, and may refer the cases to government or non-governmental organizations for follow-up where necessary,” she added.

Choi said public primary and secondary schools handled on average about 420 cases of student bullying per year from 2020 to 2023.

The EDB had received a total of 47 requests for assistance, complaints and reports in relation to school bullying, which mainly involved physical/behavioral violence and verbal attack, she said.

Choi added that the bureau had completed 45 cases, of which five complaints were found substantiated or partially substantiated upon investigation.

“Schools are staffed with professionals (including guidance personnel, school social workers and school-based educational psychologists) to provide students in need with due support and mediation,” Choi said.

“In the process of handling these cases, schools should work with parents to help the students involved rectify their behaviors and better protect the students being bullied,” she added.