Raising white flag early solves nothing

Perhaps Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin never anticipated she would have to deal with an accelerated drain of students - a new phenomenon that has gripped primary and secondary schools for only a year or two.

Otherwise, the government minister should have prepared for questions like the one raised by lawmaker Tang Fei.

Alarmed by an ongoing exodus of students, Tang of the Federation of Education Workers called on the education chief to consider making Hong Kong school places available to children from the mainland and Southeast Asia.

It is nothing new for mainland children to cross the border to study in Hong Kong because plenty of them had been doing exactly this prior to the pandemic. They stopped coming after Covid outbreaks shut the borders to normal travel.

However, Tang's proposal that school places may also be open to children from Southeast Asian countries was innovative and should merit in-depth study.

Tang's idea is that these students would have to pay full fees if they want to study here, which would be the same as Hong Kong parents paying expensive tuition and boarding fees for their children to study in foreign countries, including the UK.

I have to say how disappointing it was to hear Choi thumb down the idea immediately without even giving it a chance for serious consideration.

Speaking to the media early this week, the education chief brushed aside the creative proposal, pointing to what could not have been a more common excuse that there would be practical difficulties in bringing in students from the mainland and Southeast Asia.

What did she say? Difficulties? Practical difficulties?

Does she know that whenever an attempt is made to solve a problem, difficulties are always expected and they should never be allowed to become the reason for inaction. As we talk the talk, we must also walk the walk.

It's troubling to hear such nonsense being given by a senior government official who is tasked to form the city's education policy.

I wish it was a slip of the tongue and that she didn't really mean it.

Before Choi was appointed education secretary, she had been the undersecretary for education for a number of years. So, she should have gained first-hand information from principals on just how bad the situation of students leaving schools has been for the recent past.

Students have been leaving for various reasons and the most obvious one is immigration.

One of the difficulties that Choi cited was accommodation.

It's true that in view of the limited living space in Hong Kong, it may be difficult for local private or directly subsidized schools to offer boarding places unless they expand.

Okay, that is difficult. But then, please solve it if it is concluded that admitting youngsters from Southeast Asia may provide an answer to student shortages and the city's demographic shifts. This is about showing the right attitude.

Hasn't Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said his administration is result-oriented?

Throwing in the towel before the game even starts is surely the last thing to be wanted.