EDUCATION
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Kong and the Education Department. The University of Hong Kong and some overseas universities now recognize the pass with credit (grade three) in individual subjects as equivalent to ordinary level passes in the General Certificate of Education examinations. It is hoped that similar recognition may in due course be accorded by all overseas examining bodies.
The Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Examination, con- ducted by a syndicate of representatives of participating schools and the Education Department, is primarily intended as a test of general academic attainment in the Chinese middle school course. The requirements for the award of the certificate are similar to those for the English school certificate with the exception that Chinese is the compulsory subject instead of English. In 1965 the number of candidates increased from 3,004 to 7,085, mainly due to the convergence of the former six-year course of study in Chinese middle schools with the new five-year course. The number of participating schools increased from 57 to 70.
The University of Hong Kong conducts its own matriculation examination at advanced level, the standard of which is similar to that of the GCE advanced level examinations. The university conducted its last examination at ordinary level in 1965, and has announced that entry to the advanced level examination in 1966 will be restricted to candidates who have previously passed an approved qualifying examination.
Entry to the matriculation examination of the Chinese University of Hong Kong is normally restricted to candidates who have com- pleted six years of secondary school education in an approved secondary school and who have gained passes in the required num- ber of subjects in an approved qualifying examination such as the English or Chinese school certificate examinations, or the Cambridge School Certificate Examination. Passes in at least five subjects, including Chinese and English languages, are normally required for entry to the university, and there are additional re- quirements for admission to various undergraduate courses.
The Education Department provides a local secretary for various examining bodies in Britain and so makes available to students in Hong Kong many overseas examinations at standards com- parable with those in Britain. Of these examinations, the GCE