LettersCoronavirus in Hong Kong: DSE results are due soon, but it’s already time for cheers all around

Name: Robots check body temperatures as Hong Kong’s university entrance exams go ahead amid pandemic
Uploaded: 2021-07-19T22:15:16.000Z
Duration: 3 min 2 s
Description: Robots check body temperatures as Hong Kong’s university entrance exams go ahead amid pandemic

This year’s cohort faced several challenges due to the suspension of in-person lessons and the shift to online learning

The adversity endured will hold these pupils in good stead later in life

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Students get in some last-minute revisions before the DSE English exam at a school in San Po Kong on April 27. Results are due on July 21. Photo: Winson Wong

Letters

Published: 6:15am, 20 Jul 2021Updated: 10:10am, 20 Jul 2021

The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education results are due tomorrow, and Form Six graduates are waiting both eagerly and anxiously. The 2021 cohort has definitely gone through multiple trials and tribulations en route to their public exams, in the form of school suspensions, the abrupt shift to online learning and reduced in-person lesson time owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

To be able to overcome such challenges and complete their public exams while adapting to the necessary adjustments has been no small feat. So, regardless of their exam results, these teenagers should applaud themselves for having cleared all the hurdles with unwavering perseverance.

Hong Kong is a knowledge-based city where academic success is emphasised and valued. There is a deep-rooted belief that remarkable public exam results guarantee a university degree, which serves as a springboard for a promising career and stable income. Moreover, some pupils need to study extra hard as they hope to eliminate poverty within the family when they grow up, which adds to the tremendous studies-related stress from a young age.

Yet, all such adversity, be it in the form of financial hardships or parental expectations, may not necessarily be doom and gloom for the pupils. In fact, adversity allows many youngsters to develop such important traits as determination to face difficulties head-on and emotional resilience to rebound from unpleasant situations.

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Robots check body temperatures as Hong Kong’s university entrance exams go ahead amid pandemic

The DSE is just the first of many obstacles young adults need to face in life, and even if they encounter setbacks, there are multiple pathways for them to shine in life, apart from earning a university degree. Sub-degree programmes, including associate degrees and higher diplomas, are available aplenty. However, students do need to choose programmes carefully after thorough consultation with careers team teachers, parents and alumni.