University recognition of GCSE Chinese as an entry requirement is crucial to its success in offering a viable alternative to ethnic students, according to the head of a school with a large intake of non-Chinese-speaking pupils.
Chan Kui-pui, principal of Delia Memorial School, Broadway, Mei Foo, said knowing what grades were required by the various faculties at local universities would give students something to aim for and encourage them to study the language more seriously.
'It would be a great benefit to students and teachers alike if we could have a clear table of entry requirements from the universities,' Dr Chan said. 'In the past, we had no clear aims in teaching Chinese to our students. We simply hoped to be able to equip them with some basic life skills. If we knew what the universities were looking for, our teachers would have a clear idea of what level they needed to reach.'
Students were often discouraged from taking Chinese at HKCEE because they felt they would never be able to pass. 'With an entry requirement for GCSE, they would have something to aim for and be encouraged to continue learning the language to a higher level,' he said.