A government investigation into the death of a Hong Kong teenager on an exchange trip to mainland China has found the tragedy was unrelated to his school tour, according to the education chief.
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Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin was responding on Sunday after weeks of concern and online petitions demanding transparency from the school.
The death of the St Paul’s College student during the trip to Hangzhou in Zhejiang province sparked widespread discussion, with some calling for disclosure of details and the adoption of measures to prevent any recurrence of such a tragedy.
When Choi was asked at an event whether her bureau would explain the matter further, she said: “The investigation has concluded and has proven that [his death] was unrelated to exchange activity.”
St Paul’s College confirmed on March 1 one of its Form Five students died during the trip, and turned the cover photo for its Facebook page black as a sign of mourning.
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Multiple media outlets reported the student died by apparent suicide on February 28, but neither the bureau nor the school have disclosed the cause or date of his death, nor his age.
An alumni petition, which has gained significant traction online, demanded the school handle the matter “responsibly and transparently”. It also requested a reply on calls that measures be adopted to prevent similar incidents.