100
EDUCATION
Kong Certificate of Education, English and Chinese, one by the University of Hong Kong and one by The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
The Secondary School entrance examination is a competitive examination to select pupils for places in government and aided secondary schools, and for subsidized places in private secondary schools. It is conducted by the Education Department and an examination committee is appointed to advice on general policy. All primary schools are invited to participate. Entries from each school are normally limited to 60 per cent of its primary six pupils, but this percentage may be increased to 100 per cent where justified by previous examination results. Scholarships for a full secondary school course are awarded on the results of the examination.
The Hong Kong Certificate of Education (English) examination is conducted by a board of representatives from participating schools, the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Education Department. The University of Hong Kong, the University of London and some overseas universities now recognize grade C and above in individual subjects as equiva- lent to ordinary level passes in the London General Certificate of Education.
The Hong Kong Certificate of Education (Chinese) examination is also conducted by a board. It is similar to the Certificate of Education (English) examination, but is of course conducted in Chinese. Both certificate of education examinations were changed in 1968 from a group to a subject basis in order to give more flexi- bility and to meet more closely the need of an expanding secondary system.
The Education Department provides a local secretary for various examining bodies in Britain and elsewhere and so makes available to students in Hong Kong many overseas examinations at standards comparable with those in Britain. Of these examinations, the General Certificate of Education is open to both school and private candidates who hold a local certificate of education of the required standard, and to private candidates of 25 years of age or over.
London University degree examinations are also conducted annually in May and June. Appendix XXVII shows the more