Chapter 6: The development of sixth-form and tertiary education
Sixth-form education
6.1 The Government will provide subsidised sixth-form places for up to one third of students entering subsidised Form IV places two years previously, subject to sufficient numbers of suitable students seeking admission. Calculated on this basis, the maximum requirement for sub- sidised sixth-form places is shown in Appendix 1. In view of the rapid development of Form IV-V places planned, there might be some eventual shortfall if sixth-form level places were to be provided in schools alone. Accordingly, the Government will encourage the development of courses at the sixth-form level in other institutions as well as schools, as discussed later in this chapter.
6.2 Schools should satisfy themselves that students to be admitted to a sixth-form course are capable of meeting the requisite academic standard. In this connection, Principals of Anglo-Chinese schools should have regard to the present requirement that school candidates for the Advanced Level Examination of the University of Hong Kong should have obtained, at one sitting of the Certificate of Education Examination, at least Grade C in two subjects and Grade E in four other subjects or, alternatively, Grade C in four subjects and Grade E in one other subject, including English. It is desirable that sixth-form students should have exceeded these minimum requirements except where there are extenuating circumstances.
6.3 Not all students who complete a sixth-form course will be able to proceed to higher education, but a well-designed course of sixth-form education should still be beneficial to them. There has been dissatisfaction with the present sixth-form examination arrangements and their impact on the curriculum. The Board of Education has therefore appointed a Committee on Sixth Form Education with terms of reference
"Having regard to the overall needs of both sixth-form leavers who enter higher education and those who do not, to consider and recommend to the Board
of Education how the sixth-form curriculum should be broadened."
The Committee is expected to complete its work by March 1979. The Government will give further consideration to possible changes in sixth-form education after receiving the Committee's report and the Board of Education's recommendations thereon.
6.4 Since 1945 there has been a steady decline in the proportion of the senior secondary population in Chinese Middle Schools, which now amounts to only about 16%. In case the lack of a two-year sixth-form course might be a contributing factor in this decline, those Chinese Middle Schools which wish to offer a two-year course will be assisted to do so.
Tertiary education
6.5 The Government recognises the importance of striking a proper balance between courses at different levels, so that the structure of education can meet the range of employment opportunities and the aptitudes of the students.
6.6 After the approved target for the current triennium of 10,330 students in 1980-81 has been achieved, it is proposed that the combined undergraduate population at the two universi- ties should grow at 3% annually. On this basis, the university student body would be more than 12,000 by the mid-1980's. The Government will consider during the 1980's whether this growth rate should be changed, having regard to the demand from well-qualified students for entry to local universities, to the opportunities available overseas and to the employment prospects of graduates.
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