ENG-1962 — Page 166

EDUCATION

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examination based on a five-year course, instead of the present six-year course, was approved last year and syllabuses of the major subjects have been revised accordingly.

Matriculation. The University of Hong Kong conducts this examination at ordinary and advanced levels. The standards are those of the general certificate of education. Passes at advanced and ordinary levels are necessary to secure admission to the univer- sity and this certificate may also be offered as an entrance qualifica- tion to the teacher training colleges. Candidates are entered for the examination at ordinary level after a one-year course in form six of an Anglo-Chinese grammar school, and for the advanced level after a two-year course. Admission to form six depends on the pupil's performance in the Hong Kong school certificate examination._Private candidates are also permitted to sit.

Overseas Examinations. The Overseas General Certificate of Education examination is open to school children and private candidates. Nearly 3,600 entered in 1962. Only those who do well in the Hong Kong school certificate are allowed to sit. The Educa- tion Department provides a local secretary for various examining bodies in Britain and so makes many other overseas examinations available to students in Hong Kong. The standard required in these examinations is comparable with that of equivalent examinations held in Britain. Appendix VI shows the more important examina- tions and the number of candidates entering for them.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES

In addition to the 1,099 Government awards listed in Appendix VI, six scholarships for post-graduate studies and two bursaries for one-year teaching courses, tenable at British educational in- stitutions, were awarded by the British Government to candidates from Hong Kong. These were made under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan formulated at the Education Conference held at Oxford in 1959. Three Canadian scholarships for post-graduate studies were awarded by the Canadian Govern- ment. Hong Kong is contributing toward this plan by awarding to graduates from other parts of the Commonwealth two scholar- ships a year, tenable at the University of Hong Kong. Fourteen departmental scholarships and two Government training scholar- ships were awarded to officers of the Education Department for