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Life-driven gap year is not popular in

Hong Kong as open-minded parents are

not mainstream here

Groups (HKFYG). workplace is like, reflect on it and fig- Cheung says.
The HKFYG has been working ure out whether they like to study or Tips here for students who want to
with the Hang Seng Bank since 2014 work,” says Cheung. “They may com- take a gap year: Always think of why
to organise a youth employment pro- pare school life with challenges they [you want to take a gap year] and be
gramme for low academic achievers experienced in reality. The academic brave to pursue what you believe is
in schools. With the guidance of so- stress for them is just a piece of cake.” right.
cial workers, this group of students Cheung says for students who have
are allowed to put their studies on to deal with low motivation to study Edited by Sam Kwong
hold for a year to participate in work and emotional problems, exploring & Valerie Wan
placements tailored to their interests. and travelling around the world would
Unit-in-charge not solve their problems as they are
of Youth Em- not mature enough to manage their
ployment Net- life. Instead of wasting a whole year,
work, Cheung they can obtain a fruitful experience
Chi-wai, says a through placement and internships.
gap year can be “Life-driven gap year is not popu-
a life-changing lar in Hong Kong as open-minded
experience for Cheung Chi-wai parents are not the mainstream here.”
them.
“A leave from school for a couple
of days may not help those students.
We hope they can explore their life The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups encourages students to take a gap year
seriously through a gap year,” Cheung
says.
A gap year does not mean one has
to leave school. The school will guar-
antee that students can still return to
school after the gap year, which frees
them from many worries.
“The ‘Placement’ of our pro-
gramme does not just mean that stu-
dents are assigned to job positions. In-
stead, we put great emphasis on their
autonomy and independence. We en-
courage them to seek full-time jobs by
themselves,” Cheung says.
Some attendees failed to find jobs
for several times. Cheung says these
experiences help them see the reality.
“They can have a taste of what a real