Language skills shouldn’t be compulsory for university admissions in Hong Kong: principals
Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools seeks to balance English requirement with demands for city’s future
A group of secondary school heads in Hong Kong has called on the government to drop the language requirements for university admission to “avoid placing too much focus” on the skills as authorities seek to promote institutions specialising in vocational training.
The Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools on Thursday suggested only the “total grade points in the best five subjects” be counted instead of the current grades for both Chinese and English languages.
“This can avoid placing too much focus on language ability and can more holistically take care of students of different abilities,” the association said, ahead of the chief executive’s policy address in October.
Diploma of Secondary Education Examination candidates are only qualified for university entrance if they attain at least Level 3 out of the five-tier grading system in both Chinese and English languages.
They should also get at least Level 2 in mathematics and pass the citizenship and social development subject.
Nearly 50,000 students sat the DSE exams this year, while 37.5 per cent reached the threshold to continue studying.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu discussed upgrading educational institutions to the status of universities of applied sciences in his policy address in October last year as part of an effort to change negative perceptions about vocational education.
