ENG-1964 — Page 110

EDUCATION

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The colleges also organize in-service courses of training for unqualified teachers. These are part-time evening courses, either in Chinese or in English, of two years' duration. Successful students are awarded a certificate granting qualified teacher status.

Teacher training courses are free of charge and in the full-time courses maintenance grants may be made in cases of need. In September there were 224 students in the two-year course, 45 in the special one-year course, 639 in the one-year course, and 1,394 in the in-service training courses.

The Department of Education of the University of Hong Kong offers a one-year full-time and a two-year part-time course to graduates, leading to a Diploma or Certificate in Education in which 76 students are currently enrolled.

EXAMINATIONS

There are five local school examinations, three conducted by the Education Department, 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 advise the Director on general policy. All primary schools are invited to participate. Entrance from each school is limited to 60 per cent of its primary six pupils, but this percentage may be increased up 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 English School Certificate Examination is con- ducted by a syndicate of representatives of participating schools and the Education Department. New regulations and syllabuses have been approved and the aim is that the standard of pass with credit (Grade 3) in individual subjects should be equivalent to ordinary level standards in the general certificate of education examinations. In due course it is hoped that recognition of this equivalence may be granted by overseas examining bodies.