Hospital school students win grit scholarships in Hong Kong
SingTao · 1 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
Two students from the Hong Kong Red Cross Hospital Schools became the first from the institution to receive the Paediatric Society “Pengcheng Perseverance Scholarship” after continuing their studies during treatment for severe illness. Nine-year-old Kong Pak-ting, a Primary Four pupil recovering from leukaemia, and 15-year-old student Lo, who is being treated for a rare disease, both described how hospital and home teaching helped them keep up with schoolwork. Each received HK$15,000 and said they hoped their experience would encourage other children facing illness to keep going
Key Points
- Kong Pak-ting (江柏廷), aged nine and in Primary Four, was diagnosed with leukaemia after fatigue, constant thirst and a near-fainting episode during the Christmas holiday
- He spent more than half a year in hospital, found early chemotherapy physically overwhelming, and was told in November last year that he had largely recovered
- Fifteen-year-old student Lo, a new immigrant from mainland China, arrived in Hong Kong in August last year and was diagnosed with a rare disease after hospital checks in September
- Lo said he initially could barely eat or drink, relied on intravenous nutrition, underwent multiple operations, and has not yet formally attended his new secondary school
- The Hong Kong Red Cross Hospital Schools support about 40 to 50 students each school year through ward-based and home teaching, coordinating with students’ original schools on lessons and assessments
Why It Matters
The cases show how prolonged illness can interrupt schooling, but also how tailored teaching in hospital wards and at home can reduce the risk of students falling behind in Hong Kong. They also point to the wider support needed for seriously ill children and their families, including emotional counselling, infection-sensitive teaching arrangements and coordination with mainstream schools