Hong Kong's future workers aren't learning the skills they need

"The crucial question is whether the world’s education systems are equipped to teach these skills," the report states.

For Hong Kong, the answer is not really. Out of the three areas of focus - teaching environment, policy, and socio-economic environment - the city scored particularly low on education policy, coming in 22nd out of 35. In comparison, Singapore ranked first.

Not naming Hong Kong specifically, the report points out that academic high achievers from countries in East Asia can struggle in a Western university environment as they've focused on "head-down studying" and haven't been taught the soft skills needed to form their own opinions, participate in seminars, and collaborate in multi-national project groups.

The city didn't fare much better in the socio-economic environment category, ranking 21st. It's redeeming factor is the actual teaching environment where it came in 6th overall, two places above Singapore. But without future-focused education policies, even the most effective teachers can't achieve much.

"Education must not stop when students step out of the classroom. Teachers and parents need to equip them with the skills and attitudes to apply academic concepts to the outside world. They must see learning as an organic process, not one confined to traditional teaching environments," the report concludes.

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