Confessions of a DSE high-scorer: Hong Kong’s education system must nurture all, not the few

The Diploma of Secondary Education exam is a one-time bet for life and 18 years of hard work has all been for one thing – this single sheet of paper. The scene on DSE results day is no stranger to Hong Kong students – it has been replayed time and time again throughout the course of our lives whenever a test or exam has been given out. Marks determine our future and define who we are.

Often, we are told “grades aren’t everything”, but no one truly believes that because the system tells us otherwise. It is a delight to see the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Jupas) emphasising a more holistic evaluation of candidates by introducing components such as Other Experiences and Achievements and a personal essay (that isn’t even compulsory). However, at the end of the day, we all know it comes down to DSE marks, and every single mark makes a difference. All other components in the application – interview performance, talents, personality, creativity – are nothing more than tie-breakers.

Universities award scholarships by counting the number of stars you get, admission offices proudly publicise DSE quartiles and medians of each programme, agencies rank programmes solely based on DSE medians of incoming students, and the media makes it a priority to direct the world’s attention towards the handful of perfect scorers. These only reinforce the twisted mindset that marks are the only thing that matter.

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I was lucky enough to go through both the UK and US application processes, and it struck me how narrow the Hong Kong university admission system is in comparison. To excel in British interviews and writing the personal statement, one must learn outside the syllabus and combine subject knowledge with current affairs so as to showcase one’s inquisitiveness and broad intellectual interests. In the US Common App system, essay questions are centred on personal events, such as incidents of failures and successes, our aspirations, world views and hobbies. Ultimately, the systems seek to bring out the uniqueness of the individual and how he or she can contribute to the classroom, the school and society in ways irrelevant to grades.