HONG KONG: Students at lower-tier schools aren't the only ones tempted to drop out of school. The phenomenon is also in evidence at top schools and the rate is as high as 8.5 percent.

Most teachers hold students' domestic problems responsible for it. But a large majority of parents put the blame on strained teacher-student relations.

These are the findings of a recent Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) survey that covered 129 school dropouts, 158 parents and 95 teachers.

Associate professor of Social Work at CUHK Lau Yuk-king tries to put the problem in perspective: The reason for dropping out of school differs from one student to another, hence teachers and the parents should communicate to get at the root of the problem. And more importantly, they should collaborate to overcome the problem and make life easier for the children.

Some students drop out of top schools because they cannot cope with the enormous pressure of the "elitist academic environment", Lau said.

"They get frustrated when they fail to be the cream of the crop."

Then there are independent-minded students who question the approach to or method of teaching.

"Parents need to address their children's emotional needs and try to understand their problems to give them an 'alternative perception' to carry them through their school years," Lau said.

Hong Kong Christian Service's youth work officer Chan Kit-wah, on the other hand, said parents should assess their children's abilities and needs, instead of forcing them into or making them stay in top schools.

But a mother of two high-school students, surnamed Chung, said it can be difficult for parents to judge if a certain school suits them, or vice versa, because going through the admission process in Hong Kong is not an easy task.

"There are many schools, and all try to present a bright picture of themselves," Chung said.

"When one of my sons began showing behavioural problems in Form 2, his teachers seemed indifferent and attributed it to his poor academic performance."

That, she said, is not the way to deal with a child, even if he is problematic.

Wing (name changed), who dropped out of school after Form 3, reflects the problem that an average or problem student faces.

She gave up her studies not because her needs and the school system didn't match, but because of the indifference and negligence she was subjected to.

Wing recalled her terrible feelings on being left out: "The top students were formed into an elite group."

"They got all the chances to be part of special activities and attend summer courses. The rest got little attention. And a problem student like me was shunned and despised by the teachers," Wing said.

(China Daily 02/01/2007 page5)