An explosion of sub-degree courses has yielded some dubious results

Even though Alexander Tang Tsz-him has met the entry requirements for university, competition for publicly funded places was so fierce that Tang missed out.

Instead, he took an alternative path by enrolling on a sub-degree course. The courses last two years and, in theory, allow students to enter university on the second or third year of an undergraduate degree, depending on grades.

Even so, the competition for places is likely to remain constant, meaning Tang is unsure if he will ever land a place at a publicly funded university. Such places are subsidised by the University Grants Committee, with students paying a fraction - normally about HK$45,000 - of what a private degree would cost. More importantly, the university courses are deemed more credible by employers.

The number of students participating in the sub-degree courses, called associate degree (AD) courses, has risen almost tenfold over the past decade, from 3,732 in 2001 to 31,093 last year. Education reform initiated in 2000 called for diversified pathways in higher education, and the programmes were introduced the following year, with the goal of doubling the percentage - to 60 per cent - of school leavers with access to higher education within a decade.

It supported the establishment of more community colleges to provide an alternative route to further education, as well as a variety of learning opportunities to help students acquire skills and qualifications that would make them more employable.

Offered by private institutions and schools of continuing education, the number of AD programmes has increased in the past decade from 46 in 2003 to 140 last year.