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EDUCATION

The Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Examination is con- ducted by a similar syndicate and is primarily intended as a test of general scholastic attainment in the Chinese middle school course. The requirements for the award of a school certificate are similar to those for the English School Certificate with the exception that Chinese is the compulsory subject instead of English. The status of the Chinese School Certificate is similar to that of the English Certificate. The number of candidates increased from 2,761 in 1963 to 3,004 in 1964 and the number of participating schools from 55 to 57.

The University of Hong Kong conducts its own matriculation examination at ordinary and advanced levels, the standards of which are similar to those of the general certificate of education examinations. The University has stated that it will cease to examine at ordinary level after the 1965 examination. Proposals for the future of advanced level examinations are under consideration.

Entry to the matriculation examination of the Chinese University of Hong Kong is normally restricted to candidates who have gained passes in the required number of subjects in an approved qualifying examination such as the English or Chinese School Certificate Examinations, or the Cambridge School Certificate Examination. Pupils who are about to complete an approved course in a Chinese middle school and are specially recommended by their principals may enter for the examination. Passes in at least five subjects, including Chinese and English languages, are normally required for entry to the university, and there are additional requirements for admission to various undergraduate courses.

The Education Department provides a local secretary for various examining bodies in Britain and so makes available to students in Hong Kong many overseas examinations at standards com- parable with those in Britain. Of these examinations, the GCE examination is open to both school and private candidates who hold a school certificate of the required standard, and to private candidates of 25 years of age or over who are required to pass this examination as a pre-requisite to entering for a professional or university examination. London University Degree examinations are also conducted annually in May and June. Appendix XXIV shows the more important examinations held in Hong Kong and the number of candidates entering for them.