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EDUCATION
Level Examination, replacing the Advanced Level Examination of the University of Hong Kong, from 1980. Altogether, 117,863 candidates sat for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education examination and 19,741 candidates sat for the Hong Kong Higher Level Examination in 1979.
The authority has also assumed responsibility for conducting a large number of overseas examinations on behalf of various examining bodies in Britain and elsewhere. Appendix 21 lists the more important examinations held in Hong Kong in the past three years and the number of candidates who sat for them.
Hong Kong Students in Britain
The Students Section of the Hong Kong Government Office in London is responsible for keeping records of Hong Kong students and nurse trainees in Britain who register with the Education Department before leaving Hong Kong. The section helps students find places in universities, polytechnics, technical colleges, colleges of further education and other educational institutions in Britain. The section is responsible for exercising broad supervi- sion over their progress and general welfare during their studies or training.
The Students Section works closely with the Education Department in Hong Kong and other departments. In the United Kingdom, it maintains close relations with departments of the British Government, local education authorities, the British Council, educational establishments and hospitals.
In December, 1979, the records listed some 13,232 students, including students on sand- wich courses and nurses in training. New arrivals during 1979 totalled 3,503, compared with 2,566 in 1978. The newcomers included 1,772 students for General Certificate of Education courses. Many inquiries about sources of financial assistance continued to be received owing to inflation in Britain and increases in tuition fees.
During the 1979-80 academic year, 3,985 applications on behalf of 1,408 students were made to polytechnics and colleges. A total of 4,704 students made direct applications to universities through the Universities Central Council on Admissions under the guidance of the Education Department in Hong Kong.
The government-run Hong Kong Students' Centre in London is a residential and social centre for Hong Kong students in Britain. It accommodates 90 students and also serves as a focal point and meeting place for students. The Hong Kong Commissioner in London administers the centre through a warden and he is assisted by an advisory board that includes two student representatives.
Hong Kong Students in Other Countries
The Overseas Students and Scholarships Section of the Education Department helps students who wish to study overseas by providing information on educational establish- ments in Britain and other English-speaking countries.
In addition to those who went to Britain during this year, 2,155 students went to Canada for secondary or higher education, 2,560 to the United States and 439 to Australia.