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(ii) Courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at Baptist
College
The standard that could be achieved by the Senior Diploma Programmes would be comparable to a United Kingdom DipHE, i.e. the level at the end of the first two years of a full-time Honours degree. The intended level of the Honours Diploma would be comparable to that of a United Kingdom non-Honours degree. However, it will be clear from our report that these levels cannot yet be said actually to be achieved because of the lack of resources.
(iii) Course in Civil Engineering at Baptist College
In this subject an Honours degree standard is achieved in parts of the course, students are of calibre to to handle this material, and the staff are able to teach to that standard in those parts. The course as an entity is not, however, of an Honours degree standard.
We have never, of course, seen the mere writing of the report as the end of the exercise. But I think we can only move forward when the Department of Education has the opportunity to ponder on our report and respond to it in some depth. We have come to know Baptist College, and if we are later asked to look at course proposals which develop from our report, we would not be starting from scratch.
Low key responses by correspondence or in discussions alongside any other Hong Kong events in which we are involved can be seen as being rolled up into present charges, but we envisage that some departments of the Baptist College will undergo such fundamental changes that visits by at least a subset of our team may be needed at some stage. In that event, we would be happy to discuss with you the format and cost of the kind of evaluations which would be needed. There could well be an opportunity during our visit to Hong Kong in November to follow up with you the steps which Baptist College should now take.
Yours sincerely,
Elexin