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Peace Chiu

The release of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination results made Wednesday a day of celebrations for many students of Hong Kong who overcame various challenges to achieve personal feats.
Despite suffering from severe low vision, Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School’s graduate Tse Sze-man, 18, managed to get the top grades of 5** for Chinese, liberal studies and economics, while also getting 5* for business, accounting and financial studies and Chinese history.
She also scored level 5 for maths and 4 for English.
“It was unexpected but I was thrilled,” she said on Wednesday, adding she was grateful to her family, her school and also the Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired for their support.
Tse said she did not perform according to expectations in English, but was satisfied with overall scores.
“Even if I faced some obstacles, I can still complete my goals,” she said.
Daisy Kwok Hiu-ming, 19, who suffers from hypotonia – a disease that results in muscle weakness – also overcame adversity to achieve “unexpectedly good” results despite not finishing some questions.
The student of Hong Kong Red Cross Princess Alexandra School received a level 5 in Chinese, 3 each in maths, liberal studies, economics and business, accounting and financial studies, and 2 in English.
She described her exam preparations as “a continuous battle”.
Due to hypotonia, it was hard for Kwok to hold a pen for long and write fast. She could not finish her maths and English papers for this.
Having to undergo several surgeries when she was younger, she got pneumonia, gastroenteritis and gastrooesophageal reflux easily whenever she was stressed.
“Even if I do not want to be hospitalised, I cannot control my thoughts on worrying about the exams,” Kwok said.
“I cried many times late into the nights while revising.”
Whenever the thought of giving up crossed her mind, she pushed herself harder instead. She attended tuition classes since Form Four.
Kwok’s English score meant she could not get into local universities. But she is not giving up.
She plans to first pursue a human resources associate degree from Polytechnic University’s Hong Kong Community College, for which she has a conditional offer. She eventually aims to get into a top-up degree programme in the same university pursuing the same major, before entering the business sector.
Student, who took year out to defeat leukaemia, scores 5** clean sweep in Diploma of Secondary Education exams
Tan Xiao-xia, 22, managed to get only one point in health management and social care. But she was happy.
“I thought I would get zero,” the Hong Kong Red Cross Margaret Trench School student said.
Tan is wheelchair-bound and suffers from cerebral palsy and mild intellectual disability.
But that did not stop her from challenging herself to get a DSE certificate.
She recalled being unable to straighten her back after her English reading paper.
“I wanted to give up, but I chose to keep on studying instead,” she said.
She is considering taking basic courses at the Caritas Bianchi College of Careers while waiting for her application to the Vocational Training Council schools.




Meanwhile, a school in Tai Kok Tsui had two surprise visitors for students stressed with exam results.
Companion dogs Pepsi, 8, and Mung Mung, 10, from the Hong Kong Animal Assisted Therapy Association was at St Francis Xavier College to break the heavy atmosphere.
Ng Pang-yik, 17, said the dogs helped him get over stress and negative emotions.
“They are fluffy and I love animals. I can really relax when I meet them,” he said.
Paul Wong Wai-ching, associate professor in the department of social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong, said the overwhelming negative emotions in the society caused by the recent political unrest was the reason for providing this companion dog service.
“The secondary school students got no one to speak for them, and we are afraid that the DSE results may double their negative emotions, so we are here to accompany them and cheer them up.”
Additional reporting by Athena Chan, Stephanie Ma, Holly Chik and Sue Ng


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HKDSE - Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education

Hong Kong students overcome mental and physical challenges to emerge winners in Diploma of Secondary Education exam

Daisy Kwok (right), who suffers from hypotonia, with her class teacher Ma Ting-ting at Hong Kong Red Cross Princess Alexandra School in Kwun Tong on Wednesday. Photo: Tory Ho

Daisy Kwok Hiu-ming, 19, student from the Hong Kong Red Cross Princess Alexandra School who suffers from hypotonia, photographed at her school in Kwun Tong for an interview on her DSE final results. 10JUL19 SCMP / Tory Ho

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Hong Kong

Education

Students battle difficulties – such as low vision, hypotonia and cerebral palsy – to pass DSE exams and plan career ahead


Education in Hong Kong