Hong Kong schools urged to hold abuse ‘crisis drill’, list of high-risk pupils

Child protection training should be added to accreditation requirements for professions covered under Hong Kong’s coming mandatory abuse reporting system, while schools should compile a list of high-risk students, an NGO and a principal have suggested.

The calls were made at the start of the academic year on Monday, ahead of the city mandating 25 professions across the social welfare, education, and healthcare sectors to report suspected cases of child abuse from early next year.

Under the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, which comes into effect on January 20, 2026, these professionals will face up to three months in jail and a HK$50,000 fine if they fail to make a report.

Kalina Tsang Ka-wai, chief executive of Save the Children Hong Kong, urged the government to provide professionals with standardised and industry-specific training to ensure they could identify child abuse cases accurately and make a report.

“Each profession – teachers, social workers, pharmacists, doctors, nurses – interacts with children differently and has a unique perspective [on their well-being],” she said.

She suggested making child protection training part of their professional accreditation requirements to ensure a proper understanding of their legal obligations.