Students encouraged to look at alternatives if they fail the HKCEE

Public examinations and tertiary education are not the only way to a successful career, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups has reminded Form Five students.

The pupils are due to receive their Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) results next Wednesday.

This year, 118,213 students took the HKCEE to compete for 32,000 Form Six places. The minimum entry requirement for Form Six is grade E in at least six subjects, amounting to a total of six points. Last year, only 47,878 students passed the exam.

Federation supervisor Ho Wing-cheong said candidates had been increasingly anxious about study and job opportunities in recent years as the job market became more competitive.

This year, the federation received almost 4,000 phone calls from students seeking career guidance and emotional support, and 4,000 queries via the internet, compared with about 3,000 phone calls annually in the past few years. This was the first year students could seek help online.

Mr Ho said the HKCEE only contributed to the growing number of anxious and resentful young people who did not perform well in the mainstream education system.

'Students are most concerned with the options they have once they leave school,' he said. 'With the high unemployment rate, most of them experience a sense of hopelessness as they see little chance for them to pursue their career.