Hong Kong mock DSE candidates in mainland China do well in maths, but ‘could do better’ in Chinese and English

Teachers involved in the tests say cultural differences could explain different results between Hong Kong-born pupils and mainlanders

Tests were run as Hong Kong’s education authority prepares to allow mainland candidates to sit the DSE exams in designated schools over the border

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The Affiliated School of Jinan University for Hong Kong and Macau Students (Dongguan), which has applied to be a DSE exam centre in mainland China. Photo: Handout

Published: 11:00am, 26 Aug 2023Updated: 4:12pm, 26 Aug 2023

Hong Kong-born secondary school pupils in mainland China did better in maths in mock city university entrance exams, but teachers involved in the tests said they could do better in Chinese and English papers.

June Leung Ho-ki, the founder and chairwoman of Beacon Group, one of the largest private education providers in the city, organised Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) mock test in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in February in the three core subjects for more than 100 youngsters. Hong Kong is preparing to offer DSE exams across the border for the first time.

Leung said cultural differences played a part in mainland-based pupils’ performances in English papers.

“When students are required to write a letter of complaint, they may just voice out their negative comments without knowing what they are required to write in the task, that is, they need to interact with others … it may be related to the different tones of lodging complaints on the mainland and Hong Kong,” she said.

The first day of this year’s DSE English-language exam at HKUGA College in Aberdeen. Photo: Handout

Jonathan Lai Bing-wah, the chief principal of the Affiliated School of Jinan University for Hong Kong and Macau Students (Dongguan) in Guangdong, added that pupils in the city still had better English-language proficiency as the teaching strategy emphasised use of the language, even if it was not used absolutely correctly.

Hong Kong mock DSE candidates in mainland China do well in maths, but ‘could do better’ in Chinese and English

Teachers involved in the tests say cultural differences could explain different results between Hong Kong-born pupils and mainlanders Tests were run as Hong Kong’s education authority prepares to allow mainland candidates to sit the DSE exams in designated schools over the border

Teachers involved in the tests say cultural differences could explain different results between Hong Kong-born pupils and mainlanders

Tests were run as Hong Kong’s education authority prepares to allow mainland candidates to sit the DSE exams in designated schools over the border