DSE fee waiver plan can be ‘adjusted’ to ensure school students not affected by candidate surge, Hong Kong finance chief says

A plan to pay fees for the Hong Kong secondary-level leaving examinations next year could be adjusted to prevent a possible surge in candidate numbers from affecting those who really need to take the test, the city’s finance chief said on Saturday.

While the plan would cover school students and private candidates, such those who want to retake the test, many internet users spoke of sitting for the examination “for fun”, raising concerns of a surge in candidates crowding out those taking it to enter university.

There were also fears about whether additional candidates would affect the overall grading mechanism.

“I have noticed public opinion and those on the internet in the past few days,” Chan said on a Saturday radio programme.

“Is it possible to adjust [the plan]? Yes, totally,” he said. “The most important thing is that we can help the others while not affecting students.”