Fewer thinking of studying in mainland

Fewer students who will be sitting for the Diploma of Secondary Education this year are interested in furthering their studies in the mainland but more are eyeing Taiwan, according to a survey by the Hok Yau Club.

That is attributed to the eight months of social unrest in the Hong Kong.

The club interviewed 1,308 students taking the DSE this year from between December and January.

Only 15 percent professed an interest in seeking higher education in the mainland - a drop of five percentage points from last year's survey.

But those interested in studying in Taiwan increased from 22 last year to 30 percent.

Ng Po-shing, a student guidance consultant for the club, said the trend "obviously has to do with political factors."

Last year, Ng added, "the difference between the number of students choosing the mainland and those choosing Taiwan was only two percentage points. But this year we saw a difference of 15 percentage points."

He noted that the number of students opting for mainland institutions this year would be similar to the year after 2014's Occupy Movement.

And around 35 percent of those aiming to study in the mainland was due to encouragement by family or friends.

"Parents of students originally from the mainland are worried their children might face peer pressure and discrimination in Hong Kong," Ng added.