Researchers from the Hong Kong Christian Service polled nearly 2,000 secondary school students between February and March this year and found that one in twelve students were at risk of what they described as hidden disengagement – when pupils attend school but display withdrawn or passive behaviour.
The NGO’s service head of children and youth service, Susanne Choi, said students with hidden disengagement are more likely to drop out.
“Dropping out is a gradual process that unfolds over time,” she told RTHK.
“Hidden disengagement often serves as a crucial yet easily overlooked warning sign before [a] student completely detaches from school.”
Choi said there are a few behavioural indicators that can be easily seen among students with hidden disengagement at school.
“They may spend recess or lunch time alone in school, [be] tardy, absent, or leave early…and also have zero extracurricular participation in school.
“These elements reflect a student’s sense of belonging, school involvement and overall psychological safety,” she added.
The survey also revealed that hidden disengagement stems from a mix of factors.
“In our findings, bullying in school, students with special educational needs and emotional distress are the major factors leading to hidden disengagement of students,” Choi said.
She added that schools should do more to identify these traits earlier and proactively approach these students.
“If the hidden disengaged behaviour has not been addressed earlier, the students may be losing their connection to school, motivation to learn and peer support, gradually distancing themselves from the campus environment,” she said.
Choi suggested that schools should enhance “one-on-one” peer support, organise social group workshops and offer individual counselling for students with hidden disengagement.
