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Peace Chiu

Pupils taking Hong Kong’s main university entrance exam should face a smaller compulsory workload, freeing them up for electives and other non-academic learning, a panel reviewing the city’s jam-packed curriculum has suggested.
But those who eschew the full syllabuses in maths and liberal studies would face having their grades capped.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the task force ruled out ditching any of the four core subjects on the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam, despite calls for liberal studies to be abolished or made optional.
They said the subject helped pupils develop skills such as the ability to look at issues from multiple perspectives.

Set up by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in November 2017 after widespread concern that the city’s education system had become excessively stressful and academia-focused, the task force issued a midterm report on Friday.
Justifying its calls for streamlined curriculums, the report read: “A lighter curriculum and assessment load for all four core subjects could help release space, which enables students to participate more in life-wide learning, study more electives, and take up other personal pursuits.”
Currently, all DSE students have to take four subjects: Chinese, English, maths and liberal studies. In maths, grades are entirely dependent on exams, but the other three have a school-based component which accounts for 15 to 20 per cent of grades. Besides the four core subjects, students typically take two to three electives.
To streamline the four core subjects, principal education officer Gloria Chan told reporters, the task force suggested schools or students be allowed to opt out of the independent inquiry study, a school-based research project that accounts for 20 per cent of assessment in liberal studies.
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But opted-out students would only be able to get up to a level four on the seven-point grading scale which runs from one to five and then 5* and 5**, which is the top grade.
To be considered for local universities, students typically need at least a level three in both languages, with a level two in maths and liberal studies and another elective. But several universities announced last year they would relax requirements for students who perform exceptionally well in other subjects.
Deputy Secretary for Education Hong Chan Tsui-wah rejected concerns students’ results would be unduly limited by the proposal.




“Currently, 90 per cent of students get level four or below for liberal studies,” she said.
“The students will be made aware of whether they are taking the independent inquiry study.”
For maths, the task force suggested separating the compulsory part into foundation and non-foundation topics, the latter comprising a third of the syllabus.
Students could opt out of learning and sitting for the non-foundation topics but, would – as with liberal studies – only be able to obtain level four for the exam.
The task force noted the other two core subjects, Chinese and English, needed to be streamlined, but said how that should be done would be left to curriculum professionals at the Education Bureau.
Teddy Tang Chun-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, agreed that downsizing the four subjects would free up time for students to pursue other subjects. But he noted that a lot still depended on how the Curriculum Development Council would carry out the downsizing.
Veteran liberal studies teacher Kwan Chin-ki was against making the independent inquiry subject optional, saying pupils with good results would naturally want to take it to get a higher grade, while there were also students who depended on it to get a level two.
He added that the project was the essence of the subject, allowing students to put into practice what they learn in liberal studies and independently find a topic and explore it with the help of the teacher.
“Students have told us the independent inquiry study prepared them for university assignments,” he said.
Pupil Zack Ho Chun-ming, who will be in Form Six when classes resume in September, said he was more enthusiastic about his independent inquiry study than other school work.
“There is more autonomy in the project and there is no rote learning,” he said.
While the task force suggested universities maintain their minimum entry requirements, it said they could have greater flexibility in admitting students who miss the mark but display other talents.
Task force chairwoman Anissa Chan Wong Lai-kuen discounted the idea of relaxing the requirements for all students, saying that would give the impression Hong Kong pupils are performing poorly.
Instead, she said, one of the recommendations of the task force was to implement a new school principal nomination scheme, giving each local school two nominations for students with non-academic talents to be considered for designated programmes proposed by universities, such as design and physical education.
The task force proposed that a firm offer be made before the release of the DSE exam results, which is binding on both the student and institution once accepted.
Currently, schools nominate about four students, but they still have to get certain results.
An Examinations and Assessment Authority spokeswoman said it acknowledged the recommendations and would work with relevant members to offer support.
Members of the public can provide their views on the consultation document by September 16. The feedback will be taken into account when the task force writes its final report, to be submitted to the government by end of the year.


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Education

Streamline Hong Kong university entrance exam the DSE, review task force says

The task force was set up in late 2017 amid concern the city’s education system had become excessively stressful and academia-focused. Photo: SCMP Pictures

(From left) Members of Task Force on Review of School Curriculum Kwok Wing- keung; Antony Ip; Ng Tai-kai; Chairperson Anissa Chan; Deputy Secretary for Education Hong Chan Tsui-wah; Principal Assistant Secretary for Education Joe Ng; and Principal Education Officer Gloria Chan at press conference on Consultation Document June 2019 in Central. 28JUN19 SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

News

Hong Kong

Under midterm report’s suggestions, pupils could opt out of elements of liberal studies and maths tests
But their grades would be capped at level four


Under midterm report’s suggestions, pupils could opt out of elements of liberal studies and maths tests. But their grades would be capped at level four.


HKDSE - Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education

Streamline Hong Kong university entrance exam the DSE, review task force says

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Under midterm report’s suggestions, pupils could opt out of elements of liberal studies and maths tests But their grades would be capped at level four

Under midterm report’s suggestions, pupils could opt out of elements of liberal studies and maths tests

But their grades would be capped at level four