Multiple pathways open to DSE students
7 July 2019
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In line with a new style of governance, the Government will listen more and enhance communication with members of the public from different social sectors and backgrounds on its policies or other issues of social concern, so as to feel the pulse of society. The Government will also engage young people proactively to understand their needs and ensure that its policies can achieve the best results.
Last week, I met with some members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) from different political parties to have candid discussions on how to deal with the agenda items of the LegCo Finance Committee as soon as possible so that Hong Kong can start anew.
This Wednesday (10 July) will see the release of the results of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination. While students attaining good results have lots to celebrate, those who did less well should not be disheartened. Adopting the attitude of “remaining modest in favourable circumstances and not losing heart in adversity”, the latter can also reach their destinations by taking other pathways. With versatility and perseverance, they can certainly pursue their own dreams.
Let’s think of life as a marathon. Then you will see that the HKDSE Examination is only a small part of it and the finish line is far away. Nowadays, the saying “having your entire life determined by one examination” has become outdated. University education is not the only progression pathway for further studies. The traditional notion that “a university education is an absolute necessity” has gradually changed. Students should look far beyond that and set clear goals according to their interests and strengths. A bright future will surely lie ahead of them if they strive for advancement through continuous learning.
The total number of students taking the HKDSE Examination has continued to drop, down to 56 305 this year, and the 22 degree-awarding tertiary institutions in Hong Kong offer about 300 undergraduate programmes and 400 sub-degree programmes altogether. The total number of places offered locally is close to 70 000, which is not only sufficient for all HKDSE graduates who have met relevant entrance requirements to continue their studies in Hong Kong, but also provides students with a wide range of study options.
The Government attaches great importance to nurturing young people and providing them with quality education. In fact, the Government regards expenditure on education as an investment because human resources are an important asset of Hong Kong. In 2019/20, the estimated recurrent expenditure on education is $90.6 billion, accounting for more than one-fifth of the total recurrent government expenditure and being the highest of all expenditure items.
For the publicly-funded sector, the number of first-year-first-degree places funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) remains at 15 000 per annum. Benefitting from the development of the publicly-funded and the self-financing post-secondary education sectors, about 50% of the young people in the relevant age group are admitted to undergraduate programmes. If sub-degree students are included, young people currently attending post-secondary programmes account for over 70% of the general population of their age group. Take the 2018/19 academic year as an example. Nearly 20 000 local students were admitted to subsidised undergraduate programmes run by the eight UGC-funded universities (including senior-year entry students), and about 10 000 new intakes attended sub-degree programmes funded by the Government and run by the Vocational Training Council or UGC-funded universities. For the self-financing sector, about 1 800 new intakes were admitted to 37 programmes under the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP). Besides, about 11 000 students attended other self-financing undergraduate programmes, with a majority of them receiving a non-means-tested annual subsidy from the Government, and nearly 18 000 new intakes attended self-financing sub-degree programmes.
The Government has actively enhanced the articulation opportunities for sub-degree graduates. The number of UGC-funded senior-year undergraduate intake places was increased to 5 000 in the 2018/19 academic year to enable more meritorious sub-degree graduates to progress to subsidised degree programmes.
Since the 2017/18 academic year, a non-means-tested annual subsidy of about $30,000 has been provided to eligible students who have attained “3322” in the HKDSE Examination to pursue designated local self-financing first-year-first-degree programmes. Sub-degree graduates enrolling in relevant top-up degree programmes run by designated institutions are also eligible for the subsidy.
The SSSDP has been regularised from the 2018/19 academic year onwards with the number of subsidised places increasing from about 1 000 per cohort to about 3 000 per cohort. The SSSDP subsidises students to pursue designated self-financing undergraduate programmes in ten disciplines, namely health care, architecture and engineering, creative industries, logistics, testing and certification, computer science, sports and recreation, financial technology, insurance, and tourism and hospitality, to help young people realise their aspirations. Starting from the 2019/20 academic year, about 2 000 students per cohort will be subsidised to undertake designated self-financing sub-degree programmes through the SSSDP. The subsidy is also available to current students of the designated programmes.
In addition to conventional study pathways, vocational and professional education and training (VPET) is an alternative. The Government is committed to promoting VPET, which equips young people with expertise, practical skills and an appropriate attitude, thereby enabling them to give full play to their strengths. VPET covers a range of full-time and part-time courses at different levels including undergraduate, sub-degree and Yi Jin Diploma programmes.
By no means inferior to conventional academic education, VPET is based on professional and vocational learning which places equal emphasis on theory and practice and enables young people to acquire and put to use the professional job skills they have learned. There are many successful examples among VPET graduates. As long as they meet the entrance requirements, they may continue their studies by taking higher diploma or professional diploma courses, and then undergraduate programmes with vocational/professional orientation.
Like pursuing further studies, entering the job market is also a path to realise one’s dreams. Young people should break away from the traditional mindset of career progression and geographical constraints, bravely experiment diversified study or employment pathways with multiple entry and exit points, and map out their own development blueprints.
Opportunities favour those who are prepared. All students, no matter whether they are going to pursue further studies or enter the job market, should know that learning is a lifelong process. Continuing to learn after joining the workforce can surely add value to their qualifications and help them equip themselves for the future.
