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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987
+THERE WOULD BE FURTHER ADDITIONAL COSTS IF THESE INSTITUTIONS WERE TO ADOPT A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE SYSTEM,+ HE SAID.
+ANY CHANGES NOW COULD ALSO AFFECT THE COST OF THE THIRD UNIVERSITY.+
MR BRIDGE SAID TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED CHANGE ON THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AS A WHOLE WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT,
FIRST, THAT IMPACT WOULD LARGELY DEPEND ON THE DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL ITSELF AND WHETHER, AS WAS LIKELY, OTHER INSTITUTIONS WERE TO FOLLOW HKU'S EXAMPLE. SECOND, IT WOULD ALSO DEPEND ON WHETHER AND HOW WE PROPOSE TO RESTRUCTURE SECONDARY-LEVEL EDUCATION.
+ IT DOES, HOWEVER, APPEAR LIKELY THAT THE PROPOSAL, IF ACCEPTED, WOULD INVOLVE THE ABOLITION OF FORM 7 AND THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE REMAINING SECONDARY FORMS,+ MR BRIDGE SAID.
HE SAID THAT THIS IN TURN WOULD LIKELY HAVE TWO MAJOR CONSEQUENCES THE ABOLITION OF THE ADVANCED LEVEL EXAMINATION AND RESTRUCTURING OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THE ABOLITION OF THE ADVANCED LEVEL EXAMINATION WOULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO SUB-DEGREE COURSES AT THE POLYTECHNICS, THE HONG KONG BAPTIST COLLEGE AND OTHER POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMNETS OF COURSES NOW BASED ON ADVANCED LEVEL RESULTS WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED AND IT WOULD AFFECT THE RECOGNITION OF EXIT QUALIFICATIONS BY PROFESSIONAL BODIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE UK.
MR BRIDGE SAID THE ABOLITION OF ADVANCED LEVEL WOULD ALSO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR HONG KONG'S STUDENTS TO STUDY IN UNIVERSITIES ABROAD WHICH HAVE THREE-YEAR DEGREE PROGRAMMES.
ON OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF A MOVE TO A FOUR-YEAR SYSTEM, HE SAID THAT TO RETAIN THE PRESENT SIXTH FORM STRUCTURE UNCHANGED WOULD PROBABLY BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE, SO THAT IT SEEMS LIKELY ONE OF THE OTHER OPTIONS, +5+1+, +4+2+ OR +3+3+ WOULD BE ADOPTED.
BUT EACH OPTION HAD ITS OWN DISADVANTAGES, SOME OF WHICH WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION IN ITS SECOND REPORT.
THEREFORE, ANY DECISION TO MOVE TOWARDS A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE EFFECT ON THE SECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE DISADVANTAGES OF ALL THESE VARIOUS POSSIBLE OPTIONS, MR BRIDGE ADDED.
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