Students gain a place at university through the programmes
An increasing number of students are entering universities through associate degree programmes which are gaining wider recognition locally and overseas.
According to the University of Hong Kong, 557 students who obtained an associate degree from its School of Professional and Continuing Education are now studying in local and overseas universities.
The number was just 100 in 2001 and 301 in 2002. This year, more than 300 students have already been accepted by different universities in Hong Kong and overseas.
Enoch Young Chien-ming, director of the school, believed the increase was related to the increasing recognition of associate degrees, which drew scepticism when they were introduced in 2000.
Form Five graduates who fail to secure a Form Six place could enrol in a three-year associate degree programme. Associate degree holders with good results could be directly accepted as a second-year student.
Professor Young said more than 50 overseas universities recognised Hong Kong's associate degrees and the number of second-year places in local universities would increase five-fold from 210 to 1,050 this year.