More than 14,000 students from Hong Kong chose to study in Australia last year, about 4,000 of them of school age.
The country has been a popular destination for HKCEE graduates, not just because of its location as the closest English speaking nation, but also because of the range of programmes and educational institutions it offers overseas students.
'The learning style in Australia is innovative, and we offer a number of programmes that are not available in Hong Kong,' said Heidi Fung from the education section of the Australian consulate in Hong Kong.
Form Five graduates from Hong Kong have a choice of three pathways that they can follow in order to study in Australia. The first is to continue their final two years of study (Year 11 and Year 12) in the regular school system there. All Form Five graduates are eligible to apply to either state or private schools, with different schools having different requirements for admission.
'Some schools may ask for prospective students to take the Australian Education Assessment Services [AEAS] test, and others may ask for proof of a certain level of English,' Ms Fung said. The AEAS includes an assessment of English and maths skills. Other schools may be happy with grades that a prospective student got for their HKCEE.
Schools in Australia usually focus their curriculum on eight key learning areas, but other programmes such as the International Baccalaureate are also available.
