On World Obesity Day, March 4, Hong Kong launched its first three-year action plan on weight management targeting rising obesity rates. Citing a Report of Population Health Survey 2020–22 conducted by the Department of Health, the government noted that over 50 per cent of Hong Kong’s adult population is overweight or obese based on their Body Mass Index. “It’s heartening to see the government taking steps to build a healthy community that promotes nutrition education and regular exercise,” said...

From the classroom to the parent-teacher meeting, when it comes to achievement, one question persists: is a child’s potential written in their genes, or can it be boosted by education? The debate around nature versus nurture is especially pertinent in the context of Hong Kong’s high-stakes academic milieu – one in which students may find themselves on a predetermined track in science or the arts, regardless of their own preferences or natural talents. Experts agree that a child’s potential is...

Hong Kong’s education system is famously unforgiving. From cutthroat kindergarten admissions to hours of nightly homework and an average of five hours of private tutoring a week, children face tremendous pressure to perform in the world’s third most competitive economy. In such an environment, arts education rarely makes the cut – often dismissed as a luxury rather than a path to success. “Growing up, I had so many talented friends who gave up on art as they went through school,” says...