ENG-1957 — Page 167

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

in other countries are not available. Apart from the students listed in Appendix XIII, there were 264 students in the United Kingdom taking preliminary courses and other

courses.

The Government has acquired the Lancaster Gate Hotel in London as a centre and hostel for Hong Kong students in the United Kingdom. The hostel will be known as Hong Kong House. The building, which will be ready for occupation early in 1958, will accommodate upwards of 70 students and will also provide recreational facilities both for them and for other Hong Kong students in the United Kingdom.

The Government has also contributed £2,000 towards a scheme to build an international hall of residence for men students at London University, in which places will be reserved for students from contributing countries.

Examinations. The Education Department conducts a considerable number of external examinations on behalf of examining bodies and Universities in the United Kingdom. The most popular of these is the General Certificate of Education of London University, for which there were over 1,300 candidates in the current year. Other examinations include the External Degree Examinations of the University of London, the technological examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute, and commercial examinations of various British organizations. The London Chamber of Commerce Examinations, held three times a year, this year attracted 668 entries.

The Department also conducts two School Certificate Examinations and a Joint Primary 6 Examination, for all of which the number of candidates grows steadily from year to year. In 1957 there were 2,984 entries for the English School Certificate Examination, an increase of 529 over last year; 1,866 entries for the Chinese School Certificate Examination, an increase of 248; and 6,274 for the Joint Primary 6 Examination, an increase of 2,107.