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Rising numbers are going down under

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KATE IU HO-YING is close to fulfilling her dream of becoming a veterinarian, having just completed her studies at Melbourne University, but it came at a price of having spent seven years away from family and friends in Hong Kong.

Like the rising number of young people who have gone overseas to study, she relished the opportunity of leading an independent life and improving her English.

Government statistics show that some 15,000 students left the territory for overseas studies in 2001, a 55 per cent rise from 9,700 in 1998.

Australia has emerged as a top destination for locals in recent years, overtaking Canada and the United States which were the most popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. Britain, meanwhile, saw a 12 per cent rise in the number of students enrolled in the school sector compared with 2001. There are now estimated to be 7,900 Hong Kong children in British schools, according to the British Council. Because study visas are not required from locals going to Britain, only rough estimates are available for students studying in schools or universities.

Many go abroad to pursue courses not available in Hong Kong. 'In my case, I have always wanted to study veterinary science, which is not offered by universities here. During my first and second year of studies, we stayed on Australian farms with sheep, cows and horses and animal clinics. You do not have that kind of rural environment in Hong Kong,'' said Kate, who returned to Hong Kong in December.

Many are now going at younger ages. Kate left the territory after Form Four and enrolled in Year 10 when she arrived in Melbourne. Her two cousins left for Australia recently before completing school.

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