Nurturing Pillars of Society: Understanding and Working with the Young Generation in Hong Kong

3 - Local Studies of Young People

3 Local Studies of Young People In this chapter we consider the contemporary situations of and trends among young people in Hong Kong. Two studies are therefore introduced here. One is “Youth Trends in Hong Kong 2004-2006” (HKFYG, 2008); the other, in which I participated, is “Family Relationships of the Only Children” (Lee et al., 2006). ■ Youth Trends in Hong Kong 2004–2006 The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups has a research centre that regularly conducts studies on issues related to young people; it executed this study several years ago. Study method The study arrived at its findings by analysing all relevant statistics and studies of young people released by governmental departments and offices as well as those conducted by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) during the three years indicated. Major findings The study classified findings into six categories: (1) population and family; (2) education and potentials; (3) economic independence; (4) social participation; (5) physical and mental health, and (6) behavioural health. Major findings derived from an analysis of relevant statistics and related studies are as follows. 16 Nurturing Pillars of Society Population and family a. The population of those aged 15 to 39 (2,538,700, 37.0%) is declining and approaches the population of those aged 40 to 64. b. The decline in the proportion of children and young people in the population, with a corresponding rise in the proportion of middle-aged and elderly people, is leading to an ageing society. c. A decline in the productive labour force and an increase in the population of dependents are producing new social pressures. d. There is an increase in the number of women from the mainland who are giving birth in Hong Kong. e. There is a gradual decrease in the number of One Way Permit (OWP)1 children to Hong Kong. f. The number of youths who are unmarried, widowed, divorced, or separated is increasing, while the number of married youths is declining, thus producing changes in family patterns. g. There is an increase in the number of mainlanders registering marriages in Hong Kong. Education and potentials a. More youths have earned associate degrees, but most are still of senior secondary (F.4–F.5) and matriculation (F.6–F.7) standards. b. The increase in associate degrees awarded has led to growth of 66% in tertiary education, but opportunities for further education among these graduates is still limited. c. Recent education reforms, e.g., the introduction of the 3.3.4 system and Liberal Studies and changes in the medium of instruction , have drawn much public attention. d. The reading ability of those aged 15 was ranked 10th among 41 countries or areas in 2003. But the environment among youth in Hong Kong is not strongly conducive to the habit of reading. However, reading through the internet is common (CUHK study, 2005). e. Youths in Hong Kong excel in mathematics. f. Youths in Hong Kong also perform well in science—integrating concepts and knowledge. g. Youths in Hong Kong are also proficient in “problem-solving”, and “systematic analysis and design”. 1. The One Way Permit is part of a migration policy that Hong Kong has agreed with the mainland. Holders of these permits have the right to live and become residents in Hong Kong. Local Studies of Young People 17 Economic independence a. There is a decline in the rate of youth participation in the labour market. b. Part-time jobs for students are not common. c. Typical employment for youths includes retail work and work in the trading, food and beverage,, and hotel sectors. Clerical work is also common. d. As a whole, there are reductions in the youth unemployment rate and the period of unemployment. But there are still thousands of youths facing long-term unemployment. e. Although the youth unemployment rate is declining, salaries are falling significantly. This may reflect a supply-and-demand relationship between reduced unemployment and reductions in salary demands. f. More youths and their families in the Yuen Long, Kwun Tong, and Kwai Tsing districts of Hong Kong cannot attain economic independence. Social participation a. The number of registered volunteers has risen to 240,000, but their degree of participation is to be enhanced. b. Almost 60% of youths have made donations to social welfare and educational bodies, but there remains room for improvement by way of the amounts donated. c. Apart from participation in schools...