LA
1134
.H6 STUDIES
B53
in COMPARATIVE
EDUCATION
Education in Hong Kong
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH , EDUCATION , AND WELFARE
Office of Education
Division of International Education
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
GENERAL LIBRARY
}
08-14049
EDUCATION IN HONG KONG
by
Marcia T. Berrien
Research Assistant, Far East
and
Robert D. Barendsen
Specialist in Comparative Education
Far Eastern Countries
May 1960
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION , AND WELFARE
Office of Education , Division of International Education
Washington 25, D.C.
LA
1134
SH
1843
CONTENTS
Page
Hmmm
Introduction 1
Evolution of Current System 3
Historical Development . 3
Types of Schools • 3
n
Administration • 5
Preprimary and Primary Education 7
∞∞
Secondary Education . 8
Anglo-Chinese Schools 8
Chinese Schools 11
English School .. 14
444
Technical and Vocational Education 15
Ho Tung Technical School for Girls ·
Victoria Technical School
Technical College
7
Adult Education 17
992
Higher Education 18
University of Hong Kong 18
Private Chinese Postsecondary Colleges • 21
~~ 2
Teacher Education • 27
Elementary Teacher Training 27
Secondary Teacher Training · · 29
&
Bibliography 30
3
Appendix: List of Secondary Schools 33
CHARTS AND TABLES
Chart 1. -Hong Kong Educational System , 1960 · 2
Chart 2. -Organization of the Hong Kong Education Department · 4
Table 1. -Number of Schools and Enrollment- 3-31-59 . 6
Table 2. - Sample Curriculum for Anglo-Chinese Secondary Schools . 9
Table 3. - Sample Curriculum for Chinese Middle Schools • 11
Table 4. -Private Chinese Postsecondary Colleges 24-25
INTRODUCTION
The complex educational system in the British Crown Colony
of Hong Kong reflects the special conditions existing in the Colony.
The way in which this system has evolved in response to the varying
influences of Eastern and Western cultural traditions is of interest
to students of comparative education. Timely information on the
system is also of particular usefulness to those in American
educational institutions who are concerned with considering the
growing number of Hong Kong students seeking to enter institutions
of higher learning in the United States . It is hoped that this
publication will contribute to a better understanding of educational
conditions in Hong Kong on the part of both groups .
This study was drafted in the Far East Unit of the International
Educational Relations Branch, U.S. Office of Education, by Marcia
T. Berrien , research assistant . It was revised to conform to the
latest developments on the Hong Kong educational scene by Robert
D. Barendsen, specialist in comparative education, Far Eastern
countries , during the latter's trip to Hong Kong in February 1960.
The draft was submitted to the Honorable D.J.S. Crozier , Director
of Education in Hong Kong , for comment prior to preparation in its
final form. The assistance of mumerous persomel of the Hong Kong
Department of Education, particularly Mr. Arthur Godman , Dr. Han
Ching-lien, and Miss Cecilia Yam, who typed a revision of the
manuscript , is gratefully acknowledged.
1
Hong
-
1.
Chart
1
,
system
educational
Kong
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2
University
of
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--------------
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Adapted Governmen
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riennial
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3
EVOLUTION OF CURRENT SYSTEM
The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong covers a territory of 398
square miles on the southeast coast of China adjoining Kwangtung Province,
approximately 90 miles southeast of Canton. It comprises the island of
Hong Kong proper with its major settlement of Victoria , adjacent islands,
the city of Kowloon opposite Victoria on the mainland, and the New
Territories —a mountainous , predominantly rural strip of land north of
Kowloon to the Chinese border. Except for the period of 1941-45 when
occupied by the Japanese, the Colony has been under British rule since
1841. Its present population of nearly 3,000,000 is largely Chinese
and includes almost 1 million new immigrants since World War II, the
majority of them refugees from the China mainland since 1949.
Historical Development
Educationally the Colony is a meeting ground of East and West.
The first schools in the 19th Century were missionary institutions pat-
terned on western models , principally English, and early Government
schools generally followed the same pattern. From the outset , English
was the usual language of instruction in such schools , at least above
the elementary level . From the early days of the Colony, Chinese schools
also emerged, originally following traditional Chinese educational pat-
terns . After 1926 a system of Chinese schools roughly paralleling the
existing Anglo-Chinese system developed . These Chinese schools were
patterned on the type of schools then emerging on the China mainland;
instruction was in the medium of Chinese (Cantonese) . Originally almost
all of the Chinese schools were private institutions , but Hong Kong
Government support for Chinese schooling has increased in recent years ,
particularly at the primary level.
Types of Schools
Schools in Hong Kong today fall into one of three categories
according to the language of instruction and type of curriculum offered :
1. Anglo-Chinese schools offering an adaptation of British-
type schooling peculiar to Hong Kong and a few other parts
of Southeast Asia
2. Chinese schools similar in form, nomenclature, and curric-
ulum to the educational pattern on the China mainland prior
to 1949 and to that on Taiwan today
3. English schools following closely the British pattern of
education in form, curriculum, and certificates or diplomas
earned.
The relationship of these various types of schools is shown in the
graphic presentation of the Hong Kong school system provided in chart 1.
O
-
2.
Chart
rganization
Education
Hong
the
of
Department
Kong
Director
of
Education-
Deputy
Director
Director
Assistant Director
Assistant Assistant
Director
Development
(
) A
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(
Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior
Principal
Secretary
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Woman
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T IVriennial
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955-58
igure
3
5
ADMINISTRATION
The legal basis of the present educational system is the Education
Ordinance of 1952 , amended in 1958 , under which all private as well as
public educational institutions fall within the jurisdiction of the Hong
Kong Government Department of Education . The Department is headed by
the Director of Education , who is assisted by a staff of administrative
personnel , senior education officers , and other officials as outlined on
chart 2 .
Administratively, institutions controlled, maintained , and staffed
by the Colony Government through the Department of Education are
Government schools . These include primary and secondary schools , the
Colony's two teacher training colleges , secondary technical schools , a
technical college , and the Evening Institute adult education courses ,
including the Evening School of Higher Chinese Studies .
Grant schools are private Anglo-Chinese and Chinese secondary
schools (usually conducted by church and missionary groups ) assisted
financially by the Colony Government through anmal grants-in-aid toward
the running costs of the schools , contributions to provident and building
depreciation funds , and capital grants towards building , major repairs ,
and equipment . In order to qualify for this assistance , a school must
meet certain standards as to staff, premises , equipment , curriculum, and
standard of instruction as set down in the Grant Code , the Education
Ordinance, and the regulations of the Education Department.
Subsidized schools are private primary schools and, since 1957, a
few secondary schools , which are assisted financially by the Government
in accordance with the Subsidy Code . In general , the Government subsidy
is the difference between the approved expenditure of the school and its
income from school tuition fees and any other source, and is dependent
upon the meeting of school standards set by the Code and the Education
Department .
In addition to these three categories are the purely private schools
at all levels from kindergarten through postsecondary colleges and adult
evening schools. According to the provisions of the Education Ordinance
of 1952 together with its subsequent amendments , all such schools must
be registered with the Hong Kong Education Department and must meet
Government standards as to financial management , health standards , and
building safety. Private schools, if run on a nonprofit basis , may
receive interest-free loans or free grants of land from the Government .
Institutions in the category of private schools thus defined account
for a little more than half of the total elementary and secondary school
enrollment in Hong Kong , Government schools for approximately 15 percent ,
and Grant or subsidized schools for the remaining approximately 30 percent .
At the secondary level, 70 percent of the Colony's education is provided in
private schools . Statistics for 1958-59 on the schools in Hong Kong and
their enrollment are given in table 1 on page 6.
level
and
type
.by
enrollmen
schools
Nof
—
1.umber
Table t
1-59
:
a
GOVERNMENT GRANT SUBSIDIZED PRIVATE TOTAL
Schools
Pupils
Schools Pupils
Kindergarten 19,547
221
19,547
·
Primary 6,055
53
16
37,22 4 166,467
781
1,223
103,972
313,718
373
Secondary
General 5,083
10 20 12,523
9 2,084 43,442
63,132
256
217
&
Technical
2
Vocational 794 4 443 60 4,416 66 5,653
· -
Teacher
Training
2 1,218 2 1,218
- ❤ - - -
1
Postsecond
Other
ary
General 1 135 10 3,556 11 3,691
/
22
Technical
& 5,171 6 294 8 5,465
·
Vocational
:/overnment
from
A
Department
,Education
Summary
.H
G
:
Kong
1 nnual
958-59
dapted
ong
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providing
Institutions
counted
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one
than
more
at
sepa
as
Press
p
,13.
.2 959.
rate
level
each
for
schools
Government
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Hong
of
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The
. he
adult
Institute
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ongovernment
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he
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Time
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-
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and
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Hong
at
program
are
College
Technical
.
separate
institutions
counted
as
7
PREPRIMARY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION
Kindergartens in Hong Kong are conducted by private groups and
normally offer a 2-year program for children beginning at age 4. There
are currently over 200 such institutions . Emphasis is on good manners ,
cooperation, and purposeful activity.
The elementary course in all types of schools at the present time
is 6 years , designated as Primary 1 through Primary 6. Pupils normally
enter Primary 1 at approximately age 6.
In 1949, a Joint Primary 6 Examination was instituted in Govern-
ment primary schools , and has been increasingly used in Grant , subsidized,
and private schools in recent years . Today entrants to all Government
secondary schools and at least a percentage of the entrants to most Grant
and subsidized secondary schools are chosen on the basis of this exami-
nation. Since 1956 it has been combined with a merit scholarship
examination for the award of financial aid in secondary school .
In Anglo-Chinese schools instruction begins in Chinese , but ends
in English, with Chinese language taught in the upper grades as a
special subject . Chinese primary schools are conducted in Chinese
(Cantonese) with English begun in the third year as a second language.
Instruction in the three English primary schools is given entirely in
English.
The great pressure of Hong Kong's expanding population and refugee
problems has been particularly acute at the elementary school level. In
order to meet the need , the Government began, in 1954-55, a 7-year
expansion program designed to provide school facilities for all children
aged 6-11 in the Colony. This effort has included a large-scale school
building program, increased aid to private schools through subsidy, the
increase of class size to an average of 45, the use of double sessions ,
and an increase in various types of teacher training programs . As a
result , primary schools in urban areas operate both morning and after-
noon schools . Only those in rural areas of the New Territories operate
in single sessions . Some urban schools , particularly private institu-
tions , hold special afternoon classes of 2 hours ' duration to provide
general primary schooling for children whom the regular school system
cannot accommodate , but the need for such arrangements is rapidly dimin-
ishing. At present there is no provision for compulsory schooling in
the Colony.
8
SECONDARY EDUCATION
The school year in Hong Kong begins in September and ends in July.
This is normally divided into 2 semesters separated by the Chinese New Year
holiday which falls in late January or early February. A few Anglo-Chinese
secondary schools operate on a 3-term or -quarter basis .
Anglo-Chinese Schools
Anglo-Chinese secondary schools , which frequently use the title
" college" or " English school" in their names , offer from 5 to 7 years of pre-
university preparation organized in Forms I through VI . Forms I through V
(7th through 11th years of schooling ) provide_general academic instruction
preparing students for the Hong Kong English School Certificate Examina-
tions (see below) . Lower and Upper Form VI (12th and 13th year of schooling) ,
also called Matriculation Class , prepares students for the University of
Hong Kong Matriculation Examinations . English is the medium of instruction
for the majority of subjects ; Chinese language , literature and history are
taught in Chinese (Cantonese ) . The actual subjects studied and the amount
of time allocated to each varies slightly from one school to another
although, in general , the curriculum in recent years in Forms I-V tends to
follow that officially recommended by the Hong Kong Government Education
Department as given in table 2 .
Not all schools offer all of the subjects listed in table 2 , which
is based on a recommended weekly minimum of 40 periods of 40 minutes each .
The vocational designation may include wood/metal work, geometric construc-
tions /mechanical drawing , dressmaking , or commercial courses . The Department
further suggests that the number of English periods may be increased in Forms
I and II if necessary, and that extra periods in art and music be provided
in Forms III-V for students planning to take these subjects in the school
certificate examinations . Transcripts from various Anglo-Chinese schools
often reflect more emphasis on English , Chinese , and mathematics than that
indicated in the time allocations recommended by the Hong Kong Education
Department . The mathematics covered by such transcripts usually includes
arithmetic and algebra in the lower forms , and algebra , geometry, and
trigonometry in Forms IV and V.
The Hong Kong English School Certificate Examinations , taken at the
end of Anglo-Chinese Form V , are external examinations conducted by the Hong
Kong English School Certificate Syndicate . This syndicate is made up of a
chairman and several other officers of the Education Department nominated by
the Hong Kong Director of Education, the heads of 23 member schools or their
deputies , and representatives of other participating schools . The member or
syndicate schools include the Government Anglo- Chinese and technical secondary
schools , a majority of the Grant schools , and St. Stephen's Private Boys'
College . Other schools which are accepted by the syndicate as offering a
9
Table 2. -Sample curriculum for Anglo-Chinese secondary schools
Number of class periods per week
Subjects
Form I Form II Form III Form IV Form V
English 12 12 10 10 10
Chinese 6 6 6 6 7
Chinese History 1 1 1 1 1
History 3 3 3 3 3
Geography 3 3 3 3 3
Mathematics 5 6 6 6 8
General Science 3 3 3 3 5
or
Physics 1 1 2 2 4
and
Chemistry 1 1 2 2 4
and/or
Biology 1 1 2 2 4
Biology ( girls schools ) 3 3 3 3 4
Art 2 2 2-3 2-4 2-5
Music 2 2 2-3 2-4 2 -·5
Civics 1 2 2 2 2
Domestic Science 2 4 5 6
Handicrafts and/or
3 4 5
Vocational
Biblical Knowledge 2 2 2
2
Physical Education 2 2 2 2
10
full and satisfactory secondary program up to the general standard expected
of syndicate schools may enter their Form V students in the examinations .
Such institutions are known as " participating schools . " 1
/
Students ordinarily take the examinations in from 6 to 8 subjects .
The result in each subject is graded as " pass" (approximately 40 percent ) ,
" credit" (usually the top 33 percent of those candidates passing in the sub-
ject ) , or " distinction" (approximately the top 3.5 percent of the passing
candidates ) . To obtain the official Hong Kong English School Certificate
awarded by the Education Department , a student must pass in English language
and in at least 4 other subjects , including 1 foreign language or social
science and 1 science or mathematics subject . Elementary Chinese or ele-
mentary mathematics counts as a half subject for this purpose.
The examinations are held annually about the first week in June , with
the first results available to the schools in late July or early August .
Official certificates , on the letterhead of the Hong Kong Education Depart-
ment , are issued to the students as soon as possible thereafter . The results
of the certificate examinations are normally given in lieu of, or as final
grades for, the second semester of Form V on the student's school transcript .
The exact criteria for entrance to the university-preparatory Form VI
or Matriculation Class is not officially set down, and tends to vary a little
depending on the school and the year. In general , about one-half of those
students obtaining the English School Certificate are considered qualified
to go on to Form VI . Competition for available places in the Anglo-Chinese
schools offering the full 7-year program plus such other factors as family
finances tend to reduce the actual number continuing their schooling beyond
School Certificate level . For students not proceeding to higher education
or to specialized postsecondary training , the School Certificate normally is
considered a terminal secondary level in Hong Kong .
Form VI students ordinarily specialize in 5 or more subjects in which
they expect to take either the British General Certificate of Education
Examinations or the University of Hong Kong Matriculation Examinations . In
general , the first year of Form VI ( Lower VI , or VI A) prepares students in
several subjects for the " ordinary" level examinations ; the second year
(Upper Form VI or VI B ) allows specialization in 2 or more subjects for the
" advanced" level examinations . The number of hours per week in each subject
varies somewhat according to the school and to the number and type of subjects
taken by the student .
1/
Appendix I giving a list of secondary schools includes an indication of
member and participating schools as of February 1960 .
2/ Schools offering Form VI also are indicated in Appendix I.
11
Chinese Schools
Chinese secondary schools offer a 6-year program divided into Junior
Middle I -III ( 7th through 9th year) and Senior Middle I -III ( 10th through
12th year) . The medium of instruction is Chinese ( Cantonese ) , with English
taken as a second language throughout the 6 years . The Hong Kong Education
Department suggests that these schools allocate their class time for various
subjects as follows :
Table 3. - Sample curriculum for Chinese middle schools
Number of class periods per week
Junior middle Senior middle
Subjects
I II III I II III
Chinese 8 8 8 8 8 9
English 8 8 8 8 8 8
History 3 3 3 3 3 3
Geography 3 3 3 3 3 3
Mathematics 7 7 7 5-7 5-7 5-7
General Science 3 3 4
Physics 3 3
བ
Chemistry 2 3 3
Biology 2 2 3
Art 2 2 2 2-3 2-4
42-5
Music 2 2 2 2-3 2-42-5
2
Civics 2 2 2 2 2
Domestic Science 2 4 5 6
Handicrafts and/or
3 4 5
Vocational
Biblical Knowledge 2 2 2
Physical Education 2 2 2 2 2 2
12
Not all middle schools offer all of the subjects included in table 3 ,
which is based on a recommended weekly minimum of 40 periods of 40 minutes
each. Where a range is given ( e.g. from 5 to 7 periods ) , the larger figure
is suggested by the Department for students intending to take that subject
in the Chinese School Certificate Examinations . The Department similarly
recommends a maximum of 6 periods in mathematics for those students taking
the ordinary course in this subject (algebra , geometry, and some trigonometry) .
The higher number of hours (up to a maximum of 9) is recommended only for
students preparing to specialize in higher mathematics or to present advanced
mathematics for college or university entrance . The vocational courses
suggested by the Department are the same as those for Anglo-Chinese schools
as given on p . 8 .
Transcripts from Chinese senior middle schools show considerable var-
iations on the above curriculum as suggested by the Hong Kong Government
Education Department , especially in the amount of Chinese language and
history, of mathematics , and in the arrangement of science courses . Many
senior middle schools apparently still follow the Chinese pattern of offer-
ing biology, chemistry, and physics separately in successive years , with
5 or 6 hours per week alloted to the subject . In addition, class periods
may vary from 35 to 50 minutes in length, depending on the school.
The Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate , initiated in 1952 , repre-
sents the results of external examinations passed at the end of Chinese
senior middle school . These examinations are set and conducted by the Hong
Kong Chinese School Certificate Syndicate , which is currently composed of
representatives of two Government Chinese schools ( Clementi and Yuen Long
Middle Schools ) , two Grant schools with Chinese sections (Heep Yunn School
and St. Paul's Co-educational College ) , six other member schools ( Pui Ching ,
Pui Ying , Tak Ming and Kwong Tai Middle Schools , and Ling Ying and Tung Chi
Colleges ) offering the Chinese curriculum, plus a chairman and four other
officers of the Education Department nominated by the Hong Kong Director of
Education. Member schools of the syndicate , and currently, ( 1960) , 37 other
Chinese schools which are approved by the Director and the syndicate as
offering work of a suitable standard, may enter their Senior Middle III
in late
Each subject examination is graded as "pass , " " credit , " or " distinc-
tion. " The passing level is 40 percent. Although there is no fixed mark
for the latter two categories , a " credit " normally represents approximately
the top 25 percent of marks made by the candidates in that subject in a
given year , and " distinction" the top 2 to 3 percent . The certificate is
awarded by the Hong Kong Education Department to a student passing Chinese
language and at least four other subjects , including one foreign language
(English) or social science and one science or mathematics . Students who
fail to gain the full certificate may have those subjects which they have
passed in the examinations recorded on their school transcripts .
21
These 37 schools are indicated in Appendix I.
13
In general , for purposes of employment in the civil service or in
occupations requiring facility in English , the Chinese School Certificate
(12 years of schooling ) plus a pass in the English language portion of the
English School Certificate examinations is equated the Hong Kong
English School Certificate ( 11 years of schooling ) . !
Graduates of Chinese secondary schools wishing to attend the Univer
sity of Hong Kong normally require 1 or 2 additional years of special
preparation in English in order to pass the University matriculation exam
inations . This study may be done privately, in a special tutorial English
class , in the upper forms of an Anglo- Chinese secondary school , or at the
Government Special Classes Centre . This latter program, located in Clementi
Middle School , offers a 2 -year course for selected pupils who have been
successful in the Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Examinations . The
first year is designed to prepare for the English language portion of the
Hong Kong English School Certificate Examinations . Those obtaining at
least a " credit " level pass in this examination may then continue a second
year preparing for the University matriculation examinations .
Six secondary schools ( St. Paul's Co-educational College , Sacred Heart ,
Heep Yunn , St. Mary's , Maryknoll Fathers , and Salesian English Schools ) offer
both the Anglo-Chinese secondary program through at least Form V and also
the complete Chinese middle school program through Senior Middle III . Others
offer partial programs of a second type as well as their principal Anglo
Chinese or Chinese program. A student may also transfer from one type of
school or program to another, thus completing a combination of Anglo-Chinese
and Chinese schooling . This often results in more years of total study than
normally represented by completion of a given class or form.
For example , a student may complete Chinese Junior Middle III (nine
years of elementary and lower secondary preparation ) and then enter an Anglo
Chinese school at the Form II ( eighth year) or even Form I ( seventh year)
level , depending in part on his proficiency in English. Again, a graduate
of a 6-year Chinese elementary school may have entered Primary 5 or Primary
6 of an Anglo-Chinese school in preparation for secondary work in the English
medium. As a result , students frequently complete Form V of an Anglo-Chinese
school at 19 , 20 or 21 years of age rather than the usual ago of 17 or 18.
4/ A number of private institutions , often calling themselves "English
evening schools , " provide intensive preparation in English language only.
Twenty-two of these schools are currently (1960) approved by the Hong
Kong English School Certificate Syndicate to enter their students for
the English language portion of the examinations only. Preparation for
the English language examination is also given at the Government Special
Classes Centre , and at the Evening Institute adult education courses given
by the Education Department .
14
English School
The Colony's only English secondary school , King George V School
in Kowloon , offers a 6- or 7-year program in Forms I through VI . The
medium of instruction is English throughout , with French or Latin nor-
mally studied as a second language . Chinese occasionally is substituted
for French or Latin. Students are prepared for the British General
Certificates of Education , ordinary and advanced levels , or for the
University of Hong Kong Matriculation Examinations (see page 18 ) .
Students usually take the ordinary-level examinations at the end of Form
V (average age , 16 years ) . The advanced-level examinations normally
require a further year or two of university-preparatory study in Form VI .
The marking system followed in Hong Kong secondary schools appears
to vary considerably from institution to institution, and from one type
of school to another . In some cases , it varies according to the grade
level or subject within a given institution. In general , the passing
mark in Anglo-Chinese and English schools tends to be either 40 or 50
percent , and in Chinese schools 60 percent .
15
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Technical education and vocational training is available in Hong Kong
at both secondary and postsecondary levels . The Hong Kong Government pro-
vides technical programs at the following three institutions :
Ho Tung Technical School for Girls
Opened in 1953 , this school offers a 5-year secondary course taught
in English, leading to the Hong Kong English School Certificate Examina-
tions . Admission to the school is based on completion of 6-year primary
school . The first 2 years cover general secondary subjects , handicrafts ,
domestic science , and needlecraft for all students . In the third through
the fifth years , students specialize in a commercial , domestic science , or
industrial course . Graduates of the commercial course prepare for the
Intermediate Grade Bookkeeping Examination of the London Chamber of Commerce.
The industrial course includes dress designing , commercial dressmaking ,
needlework, and toymaking .
Victoria Technical School
Known as the Junior Technical School prior to 1956 , this secondary
school for boys was housed in a primary school building after World War II.
In November 1957 , it moved into the former Technical College facilities in
Wan Chai . In 1956 the original 4 -year program was extended to 5 years in
order to prepare students for the Hong Kong English School Certificate
Examinations . General education is combined with vocational training .
Admission is based on the 6-year primary school , and instruction is in
English .
The Technical College
Originally established in 1937 on Wood Road in Wan Chai , Hong Kong ,
the college moved to its present new site and facilities near the industrial
area of Kowloon in 1957. A full -time day program, in the medium of English,
is offered for graduates of secondary technical schools , Anglo- Chinese Form
V, or Chinese Senior Middle III. The day program is given in the following
departments :
Department of Building . - 3 -year diploma course including construc-
tion, carpentry, bricklaying , and surveying .
Department of Commerce . -1-year course in bookkeeping leading to
the London Chamber of Commerce examination; 1-year secretarial
course in typing and stenography, preparing students for the
Pitman shorthand certificates .
5/ The school
is a member of the Hong Kong English School Certificate
Syndicate . ( See page 8. )
16
Department of Electrical Engineering . - 2-year course for radio
technicians leading to City and Guilds of London Institute inter
mediate and final certificates in telecommunications engineering;
18-month course leading to Postmaster General's Second Class
Certificate in wireless telegraphy ( for ship's radio officers ) ;
shorter courses for wireless operators ( first class certificate )
and radar technicians .
Department of Mechnical Engineering . -3-year diploma course leading
to City and Guilds of London Institute Examinations in machine
design, and , in the case of better students , the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers ' examinations . About one-half of the pro
gram consists of practical training in workshops and laboratories .
Part-time day release classes for engineering apprentices lead
to ordinary and higher certificates in mechanical engineering .
Department of Navigation. - various short courses training merchant
marine officers .
Department of Textiles . - 3 -year diploma course in weaving and spin
• ning , testing and dyeing .
An Evening Department offers part-time study at various levels in a
majority of the fields given above . A 3 -year Preliminary Course for Primary
6 graduates ( or the equivalent ) stresses English language , mathematics and
technical drawing , and prepares students for entry into the Senior Course .
The latter covers 3 years and prepares for the Ordinary Certificate in tech
nical subjects , comparable to the Ordinary National Certificate given in
United Kingdom technical colleges . The Advanced Course of 2 to 3 years , for
graduates of the Senior Course , leads to the Higher Certificate comparable
to the Higher National Certificate in United Kingdom technical colleges .
New facilities and the institution of new courses have substantially
augmented the potential of the college in recent years . Enrollment in De
cember 1959 totaled 7,236 , of which 482 students were in full-time day
programs , 137 were in part-time day release courses , and 6,617 were in
evening classes .
Substantial numbers of graduates of the Technical College have been
successful in United Kingdom technical examinations , such as the City and
Guilds of London Institute Technological Examinations , the London Chamber of
Commerce Bookkeeping Examinations , and the Department of Marine Examinations.
Besides administering these schools , the Government subsidizes the
Aberdeen Technical School ( formerly Aberdeen Trade School ) , which provides
over 200 boys with apprenticeship training as mechanics , electricians , or
carpenters , and also prepares them for the Hong Kong English School Certif
icate Examinations .
17
In addition to these Government schools , there are a number of
private vocational and trade schools, the majority of which offer special-
ized courses in a part-time evening program on the premises of elementary
or secondary schools . The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce operates
an evening school teaching commercial English, bookkeeping , and shorthand .
ADULT EDUCATION
The Government's adult education program includes the Evening
Institute, which offers English classes , classes in practical and academic
subjects , special courses for teachers , and technical classes . Through
participation in these classes, students may prepare to take the subject of
English language in the Hong Kong English School Certificate Examinations ,
and may contime their study of English up to a level comparable to that
attained in Lower Form VI of an Anglo-Chinese secondary school. Inservice
teachers can attain the status of " qualified primary teacher" in 2 years of
part-time evening study. (See page 28. )
The Evening Institute also encompasses the Evening School of Higher
Chinese Studies , a specialized institution providing opportunities for grad-
nates of the Chinese secondary schools to pursue further studies of a
cultural nature. Minimum entrance requirement is possession of the Hong
Kong Chinese School Certificate, which entitles an applicant to take the
entrance examination.
The present curriculum includes only a general arts course. Courses
in journalism and in commerce were given in previous years , but were dis-
continued in 1955-56 and in 1959-60, respectively. Emphasis in the general
arts course is heavily on Chinese language, literature, and culture , but
about one-third of the 10 class hours per week in the 3-year course are
devoted to English language and literature and some other aspects of Western
culture.
Enrollment in the school , which was set up in 1951 , has gradually
decreased in recent years . As of December 1959 , there were 217 students en-
rolled. Most of the students are employed as teachers in Government primary
schools . Attainment of the diploma granted for successful completion of
the 3-year course makes graduates who are working as teachers in Government
schools eligible to be promoted to assistant masters and mistresses of
primary and secondary schools . In general , the Evening School Diploma rep…
resents a substantially lower qualification than that conferred upon
graduates of a liberal arts day course at one of the private Chinese post-
secondary colleges .
18
HIGHER EDUCATION
The University of Hong Kong is at present the only higher educational
institution in Hong Kong empowered by the Colony Government to grant aca-
demic degrees in the British educational pattern. In addition, higher
education in the Chinese pattern is available at a number of private post-
secondary Chinese colleges .
University of Hong Kong
A member of the Association of Universities of the British Common-
wealth , this university was incorporated in 1911 as an independent
institution, succeeding the earlier College of Medicine begun in 1887.
The Governor of Hong Kong is ex officio chancellor and chairman of the
supreme governing body of the university, and the Colony Director of
Education is a member of the university senate . The Government of Hong
Kong contributes over half the financial support of the university.
The university was closed in 1941 as a result of World War II and
reopened in 1947. Its present enrollment is approximately 1,100.
Announcement has recently been made of a 7-year plan of expansion of the
university , aided by the Government of Hong Kong , with an eventual goal
of 1,800 students . Admission of undergraduates for the 1959-60 year was
raised from 295 to 380 students .
Entrance to the university is based on matriculation examinations
similar in type and standard to the present General Certificate of
Education in Great Britain . Subjects in the matriculation examinations
may be taken at " lower" (Chinese only) , " ordinary, " or " advanced " level .
In general , the advanced-level examination in a subject is considered to
represent about 1 year of intensive preparation beyond the ordinary level.
In order to matriculate at the university, a student must pass a total of
five subjects ( or six if a " lower" level pass in Chinese is included )
including English language , a second language , and either mathematics or
a science . At least three of these subjects must be passed at one exami-
nation period , and at least two of the total must be at the advanced
level . In addition to these general requirements , individual faculties
may set additional entrance requirements , such as an advanced level pass
in Chinese for the Department of Chinese , or a pass in pure mathematics ,
either level , for the Faculty of Science .
In general , the university accepts the following certificates or sub-
ject passes as equivalent for purposes of exemption from its matriculation
examinations :
Ordinary level : British General Certificate of Education ( GCE ),
ordinary level
Cambridge Oversea School Certificate, "credit " level
Cambridge Higher School Certificate, subsidiary level
Advanced level: GCE , advanced level
Cambridge Higher School Certificate, principal level
19
Up to and including the school year 1958-59, the university offered
a special Preliminary Science Year in mathematics , chemistry, physics , bot-
any, and zoology as a prerequisite for entrance to the Faculties of Science,
Engineering , and Medicine . Passes at the advanced level in the matricula-
tion examinations in at least three of these subjects exempted a student
from this preliminary science year requirement . Beginning with the 1959-60
academic year, this preliminary science year has been discontinued, and
applicants for these faculties are now required to present advanced matric-
ulation passes in science and mathematics as required by the particular
faculty or department . Thus the preparation formerly given at the university
in the 1 -year preliminary science program is now the responsibility of the
secondary schools in their pre-university Sixth Form.
Instruction at the university is in English . The academic year runs
from September to June , and is divided into 3 terms or quarters . Examina-
tions and transcripts for study completed are normally given only at the
end of the third term in June.
The faculties of the university and the degree or diploma programs
offered in each are as follows :
The Faculty of Arts, organized in 1913 , includes the departments of
English, Chinese , history, economics and political science ,
geography and geology, philosophy, modern languages , and edu-
cation. Students take a 3-year program leading to the degree
of Bachelor of Arts (B.A. ) , which is graded as First , Second,
or Third Class Honours or Pass. The degree of Master of Arts
(M.A. ) requires at least 2 years of advanced study following
the B.A. , Honours degree , the presentation of a thesis , and the
passing of an examination.
A 1-year postgraduate program for secondary teacher train-
ing leads to the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed. ) . This diploma
may also be earned in 2 years of part-time evening study. A
Certificate in Education ( Cert.Ed. ) program covers the same
general course as the Dip.Ed. and may be earned in 1 year of
full-time or 2 years of part-time study. Students entering the
part-time courses for the diploma or certificate must be uni-
versity graduates of 5 years ' standing . The Master of Arts in
Education (M.A.Ed. ) represents 2 years of full-time , or 3 to 4
years of part- time advanced study and research beyond the Dip.
Ed. plus a thesis and examination. Candidates for the M.A.Ed.
must also have had at least 2 years of teaching experience after
the Dip.Ed.
The Faculty of Science, begun in 1938, includes the departments of
mathematics , physics , chemistry, and biology. The Bachelor of
Science , pass degree (B.Sc. ) requires 3 years ; the Bachelor of
Science , Honours degree (B.Sc.Hons . ) represents 4 years of uni-
versity study beyond matriculation level. The Master of Science
20
(M.Sc. ) represents at least 2 years of supervised study beyond
the B.Sc Hons., a thesis or dissertation, and examination. The
Doctor of Science ( D.Sc. ) is an advanced degree open to univer
sity graduates of not less than 5 years ' standing who present
evidence , from published work, of original contribution to
scientific knowledge . An examination may be required.
The Faculty of Medicine, incorporated in the university in 1911,
provides a 5-year course of study in the medical sciences ,
leading to the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of
Surgery (M.B.B.S. ) . The course is divided into a preclinical
curriculum of at least 5 academic terms , covering anatomy, or
ganic chemistry, physiology, and biochemistry, and a clinical
curriculum of at least 10 terms (3 1/3 years) covering pharma
cology, social medicine and public health, pathology ( including
bacteriology and medical jurisprudence ) , medicine, surgery, and
obstetrics and gynaecology. The M.B.B.S. may be awarded with
Honours . A year of postgraduate resident experience in an
approved hospital is required for full registration with the
Medical Board of Hong Kong . Diplomas earned since 1953 entitle
medical practitioners registered in Hong Kong to full regis
tration in the United Kingdom.
M.B.B.S. degree holders of 3 and 5 years ' standing who
present a thesis or dissertation and pass a special examination
are eligible for the Doctor of Medicine ( M.D. ) or Master of
Surgery ( M.S. ) degrees respectively.
The Department of Preventive and Social Medicine offers a
2-year undergraduate-level program leading to the Certificate
in Social Study, and a 1-year postgraduate course leading to
the Diploma in Social Study, for the training of social welfare
workers . Admission to the certificate course requires meeting
the general matriculation requirements of the university; the
diploma course is open to graduates of the university. The
syllabus for the two programs is essentially the same and
covers principles and methods of social work, economics , polit
ical science , English social history, sociology, physiology,
psychology, educational psychology, and statistics .
The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture was established in 1958
through the amalgamation of the previously existing Faculty of
Engineering (founded in 1912 ) and Faculty of Architecture
(founded in 1951 ) . The faculty offers a 3-year program lead
ing to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering
(B.Sc.Eng. ), graded as First , Second, or Third Class Honours ,
or Pass . This degree is awarded in one of three branches :
civil , mechanical , or electrical engineering. The degree of
Master of Science in Engineering ( M.Sc.Eng. ) represents 1 or 2
years of further study, the presentation of a dissertation, and
passing of an examination.
21
The Faculty offers a 5-year course leading to the degree
of Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch. ) graded as First or
Second Class Honours or Pass . The degree of Master of Archi
tecture (M.Arch. ) represents 1 or 2 years of further study, a
thesis , and an examination.
In addition to the faculties listed above , an Institute of Oriental
Studies was set up in 1952 to provide facilities for research in Chinese
and Oriental studies for both Eastern and Western scholars . Instruction is
provided in the Mandarin and Cantonese languages for foreign students ,
primarily at the graduate level . A museum of Chinese art and archaeology
was opened by the institute in 1955.
A separate Department of Extra-Mural Studies of the University of
Hong Kong offers evening courses in a variety of subjects , designed mainly
for adults . For most of the courses there are no formal entry require
ments . A certificate of attendance is awarded to those who attend regularly
and perform the required work satisfactorily.
Private Chinese Postsecondary Colleges
Prior to 1949 , many of the Chinese secondary school graduates in
Hong Kong continued their education in colleges and universities in the
Republic of China. After the Communists took over the mainland in 1949 ,
this avenue to higher education was largely closed , and, in addition ,
large numbers of students and professors from China fled to Hong Kong . To
provide for these refugee groups , and to provide higher education for the
many Chinese school graduates who could not be accommodated either at the
University of Hong Kong or in the colleges or universities on Taiwan, a
number of private postsecondary Chinese colleges have been established in
Hong Kong in recent years .
Several of these are considered by their administrators to be con
tinuations of institutions formerly on the China mainland , particularly
from nearby Canton . Two of the colleges , Chung Chi and Hong Kong Baptist
Colleges , have been founded by mission or church groups in the United
States and continue to receive financial support and some staff from these
sources . New Asia College is now receiving support from Yale-in-China and,
for its graduate program, from the Harvard-Yenching Foundation. In 1956
several of the smaller colleges amalgamated to form the United College of
Hong Kong , which has received considerable assistance from the Asia Foun
dation. At the present time the following 10 private institutions are
recognized by the Hong Kong Government as offering postsecondary study in
the medium of Chinese :
Canton Evening College Hong Kong Baptist College
Chu Hai College Houng Kong College
Chu Hai Evening College New Asia College
Chung Chi College United College of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Arts and Business Night School
United College of Hong Kong Night School
22
In general , these colleges follow the Chinese higher education pat-
tern similar to that on the China mainland prior to 1949 or to that on
Taiwan today. Their 4 -year undergraduate programs are basically designed
to follow the 12 -year primary-secondary program of Chinese schooling .
Entry requirements include entrance examinations . Details of the history,
enrollment , type of program and major fields offered , and other additional
data on each of these institutions are given on pages 24-25 ( table 4) .
Some of the colleges were or still are operated in temporary quar-
ters with inadequate facilities and financial resources . More than one-half
of the total enrollment in the private colleges is in evening programs,
with classes often held in private Chinese secondary school buildings or
in rented facilities not originally designed for educational purposes .
Two colleges , Chung Chi and New Asia , have moved onto modern new campuses
in recent years ; several others have acquired or are in the process of
acquiring sites and raising building funds for more adequate plants .
Since they have not yet obtained recognition by the Hong Kong Gov-
ernment as degree -granting institutions , the private Chinese colleges
award a " certificate of completion" or diploma equated roughly to a Chinese
bachelor's degree . In the case of those institutions having close cultural
ties with the Republic of China in Taiwan, their graduates may obtain cer-
tification from the Chinese Ministry of Education in Taiwan that their
college diplomas are recognized in Taiwan as a Chinese bachelor's degree .
In the case of the United College , this recognition of diplomas by the
Republic of China is made on the basis of application by the individual
constituent colleges under their former titles .
In 1957 Chung Chi College , New Asia College , and the United College
of Hong Kong formed the Chinese Colleges Joint Council to coordinate and
strengthen their efforts to obtain Hong Kong Government financial support
and recognition for degree -granting purposes . Consideration was given to
a proposal to form a federated institution of university rank . During
1959 discussion between this group and Government representatives resulted
in the drafting of a new ordinance , " The Post-Secondary Colleges Ordinance
of 1959, " which includes a section embodying the " Regulations for
Approved Post-Secondary Colleges , " and the issuance of a government di-
rective entitled the " Post-Secondary Colleges Grant Regulations . " These
two documents establish the foundation for what is conceived as an orderly
further step toward the agreed ultimate goal of a Chinese institution of
university rank.
The basic precedent for the steps taken in 1959 was found in the
grant-in-aid system evolved by the Government over the years in promoting
educational development at the lower levels . As a first stage in
6/ As this ordinance had not yet been officially enacted at the end of
1959 , it will probably bear a 1960 date in its final form.
23
developing the grant relationship , the proposed ordinance calls for the
creation of a register of " approved" postsecondary colleges . Colleges
wishing to be entered on the register must organize their governing bodies,
administrative officers , and faculty along prescribed lines , formally in-
corporate themselves , and submit detailed data on their institution to the
Director of Education in Hong Kong . They must also submit the names of
each member of their governing boards , administration , and teaching fac-
ulty for approval . The regulations incorporated in the ordinance also
require that the college agree to maintain certain set standards in regard
to teachers' qualifications , entrance requirements , health and safety pre-
cautions , and auditing of financial affairs , and to allow the Education
Department to participate in examining of diploma or certificate aspirants.
When the Director of Education is satisfied that a college's standards and
facilities are adequate for its status and that it has complied with all
stipulated requirements , he will place the college on the approved register .
The next step is for an approved college to attain status as a
Grant institution. When the Director of Education feels that a college
has met certain additional set conditions , he may recommend that it be
put on the Post-Secondary Colleges Grant List and thereby be eligible for
financial support from the Government . Colleges desiring Grant status
must accept a number of conditions , including agreement (1) to choose
their entering students from a Joint Entry Examination in the conduct of
which Government representatives participate , ( 2 ) to participate in a
Joint Diploma Examination controlled by a Joint Examination Board includ-
ing Government representatives , (3 ) to limit their annual entering
enrollment and the percentage of overseas Chinese among that enrollment ,
(4 ) to charge certain minimum fees , ( 5) to require a minimum of 2 years
study of English for all students , (6) to conform to set qualifications
and salary ceilings for teachers , and ( 7 ) to maintain a ratio not exceed-
ing 1 to 10 between staff and students . Colleges fulfilling these
conditions are eligible to receive very substantial monetary grants from
the Government , amounting to at least 75 percent of faculty salaries and
the college's contribution to provident funds . In addition, the Govern-
ment subsidizes libraries , pays a substantial portion of approved operating
expenses , and provides additional funds for capital improvements in plant
and equipment .
At the present time ( May 1960) , three colleges , Chung Chi , New
Asia , and United College have already been accorded Grant status under
the Grant Regulations in anticipation of the enactment of the proposed
ordinance. In early 1960 these three colleges were placed on the Grant
List retroactively ( effective August 1959) , and the first money grants
have been distributed. As of February 1960, none of the other private
postsecondary colleges had made formal application to be registered as an
"approved" postsecondary college, but one or more of the remaining day
colleges in this group may apply in the near future.
P
-
4.
Table
rivate
postsecondary
Chinese
colleges
Kong
:H
,1 ong
960
24
Enroll
.Date
address
and
Name
Estab
1959
.D ec.
Type
program
of offered
Major
fields Remarks
Colleges
H.
Day
)
t
- ime
f
( ull
L
y
.- r
4ib.Arts Chinese
E conomics
, nglish Locat
in
Tak
Ming ed
COLLEGE
HAI
CHU Prim
Junio
and
Science
and Business
Administr
, ation ary
r
Street
Po
Hak
89 1951 583
S
, ocial
B
& anking
Accountin g Schoo
Middlle
Also
special
1
Kowloon Education
M
&
, athematics
p
. reparatory
yr recog ates
Gradunized
Physics
C
Engineeri
, ivil ng
at
secondary Taiwa
in
degre
as n
e
Mechanica
Engineeri
, l
ng
level holde
equiv
or rs
alent
Oceanography
CHUNG
COLLEGE
CHI L
y
.- r
4ib.Arts M
Chinese
,Eathematics
nglish college
Grant
Became
Science
and Chemistry
P
,Bhysics
iology August
1959
as
of
Ma
Shui
Liu
1951 489 T
G heology
History
,&eography United
by
Supported
Territories
New
Education
,R
&eligious Board
Christian
for
Social
&
Sociology
,
Work in
Education
Higher
Economics
B
Admin
.&usiness N
, ew
Asia
City
York
BAPTIST
KONG
HONG yib.Arts
-
4
,.L r English
Admin
,Business
,
. Housed
Pui
in
Ching
COLLEGE Engineering M
,&athematics
Sociology Middle
School
1956
Waterloo
80 582 Science
,Civil
Engineering
Road Supported
Baptist
by
Kowloon Church
U.S.
in
COLLEGE
KONG
HOUNG L
y
.- r
4ib.Ar ts E conomics
,English recognize
Graduatesd
Po
Road
70
Tai 1952 120 B
Accounting
, usiness Taiwan
in
as
degree
Kowloon Administration holders
equivalen
or t
COLLEGE
ASIA
NEW yib.Arts
-
L
.4 r Chinese
E
H nglish
, istory
, Became
Grant
college
g
.- rad F, ine
,Arts
Philosoph y 1959
August
of
as
Farm
6
Road p yost
-
.2 r
1950 376 ,Sociology
Economics
Kowloon -
Yale
in
Supported
by
in
course
Commerce
Admin
.,Business China
s
( ince
1954
,
)
Chinese
History
Asia
Foundatio n
1955
H sarvard
),( ince
Yenching
Foundation
1956
(
since
)
COLLEGE
UNITED
THE -
4
L
E
S ib
r
Chinese
rts
yociology
,.Anglish Amalgamation
:
of
KONG
HONG
OF Business
Administr
, ation Canton
Overseas
,
Road
Caine
147 Economics
M
, athematics Hua
,Wen
Hsia
Kwang
1956 201
Kong
Hong History
G
&eography (Hua
Kiu
)Hwa
Chiao
Colleges
P
& ing
Jing
Acc'tancy
of
College
Became
Grant
college
August
of
as
1959
Graduates
recognized
Taiwan
in
as
degree
holders
or
equivalent
II
.Evening
Colleges
pime
t
-
)( art
y
-
4
L ib
r
Chinese
.A
E rts
conomics
, nglish Graduates
recognized
EVENING
CANTON
Accounting
B
, anking Taiwan
in
as
degree
COLLEGE 1949 287
Social
Education
,Business or
equivalen
holders t
Street
98
Argyle
Administration
Kowloon
CHU
EVENING
HAI COLLEGE
yib.Arts
-
4
.L
HAI
CHU
See
r
above Evening
counterpart
COLLEGE Science
and of
COLLEGE
HAI
CHU
1949 247 recognize
Graduatesd
89
Street
Po
Hak
Taiwan
in
degree
as
Kowloon
holders
or
equivalent
HONG
AND
ARTS
KONG yib.Arts
-
4
.L
COLLEGE
KONG
HOUNG
as
Same
r counterpart
Evening
of
BUSINESS
NIGHT above
,with
of
addition COLLEGE
KONG
HOUNG
SCHOOL 1949 Social
,Chinese
Education Graduates
recognized
4773
Road
Po
Tai
70 Taiwan
in
degree
as
Kowloon holders
or
equivalent
COLLEGE
UNITED
THE L-
.4
yib.Arts
,S r
ame
UNITED
as
COLLEGE
above
Evening
counterpa rt
KONG
HONG
OF Engineeri
Journalis
with
UNITED
of
COLLEGE
addition mng
SCHOOL
NIGHT 1956 551 Civil
Engineeri
, ng recognize
Graduatesd
Road
Caine
147 Architecture Taiw
in an
as
degre e
Hong
Kong equiv
or rs
holdealent
3
26
Three colleges -Chung Chi , New Asia , and United College - partic
ipated in the Joint Entry Examination conducted for the first time in
June 1959 in anticipation of the new system . This examination was
conducted under the terms of the Grant Regulations , which stipulate that
the examination shall be generally comparable in standard to the Hong
Kong University Matriculation Examination ( ordinary level ) , but with a
required standard somewhat higher in Chinese language and lower in
English. To be eligible to sit for the examination a student must have
completed an approved 6-year course in a recognized secondary school
and possess the Hong Kong English or Chinese School Certificate ( or
its equivalent , for overseas students ) . This means that students from
Anglo-Chinese schools must have completed Lower Form VI to be eligible .
In the past , all the postsecondary colleges have commonly considered
Form V graduates as well as those from Senior Middle III as eligible for
entrance examinations . The non-Grant colleges are continuing at present
to give separate entrance examinations , but they are permitted to require
their applicants to take the new Joint Entry Examination if they desire
to make use of the facility and if their participation is approved by
the syndicate controlling the examination.
Diploma candidates of the Grant colleges will also be required to
pass a Joint Diploma Examination , to be given for the first time in the
summer of 1960. Initially this joint external examination , in which
examiners nominated by the Government will participate , will cover only
three courses - arts , science , and commerce ; graduates of other courses
will be given certificates by their own colleges . The new diplomas ,
which will be awarded in 1960, will be officially titled as follows :
1. Diploma in Arts (Chinese Colleges Joint Board, Hong Kong ) ;
or simply Dip.Arts (Joint Board , Hong Kong ) .
2. Diploma in Science (Chinese Colleges Joint Board, Hong Kong) ;
or Dip.Science (Joint Board, Hong Kong ) .
3. Diploma in Commerce (Chinese Colleges Joint Board, Hong Kong ) ;
or Dip.Commerce (Joint Board , Hong Kong ) .
The outlook for the next few years is that the three Grant colleges
(Chung Chi , New Asia , and United College ) will gradually develop their
facilities and improve their standards with the aid of the Government
grants , in order to prepare themselves for transition to the status of
a federated Chinese institution of university rank .
27
TEACHER EDUCATION
In general , elementary teachers are trained at two Government
teacher training institutions termed " training colleges " ; secondary
teachers are trained at the University of Hong Kong .
Elementary Teacher Training
The system for training elementary school teachers is organized as
follows :
1. A 2 -year day course is designed mainly to prepare teachers of
English, Chinese , and general subjects for the upper primary
schools , although some graduates of this course teach in lower
secondary classes . At the present time , entrance require
ments for students majoring in English are ( 1 ) a pass at
" ordinary" level in English and in three other subjects in the
University of Hong Kong Matriculation Examinations , or ( 2 )
about 1 year of the university-preparatory Form VI at an Anglo
Chinese school . For students majoring in Chinese , the
entrance requirement is the Hong Kong Chinese School Certifi
cate with " credit" passes in English and Chinese . An entrance
examination is also required of all applicants .
The 2 -year program includes general education courses ,
language (either Chinese or English) , professional education,
and optional subjects , covering approximately twenty 40
minute periods a week of classroom instruction for 39 weeks
a year . All courses except Chinese studies are taught in
English .
Graduates of this program obtain the Hong Kong Training
College Certificate ( 2 -year course ) after a further 2 years of
probationary teaching experience , during which time they must
take at least one continuation course in a part-time evening
program. As "certificated teachers " they are eligible for
promotion to the post of assistant master or mistress .
The 2 -year course is offered only at Northcote Training
College, a coeducational institution founded in 1940, located
on Bonham Road in Hong Kong.
2. A 1-year course prepares teachers for urban and rural primary
schools . The entrance requirement is possession of a Hong Kong
7/ This represents a gradual raising of entrance standards in the past few
years . Formerly, students with completion of Form V and a satisfactory
Hong Kong English7 School Certificate were also accepted for the
2-year course.
English or Chinese School Certificate with a " credit " pass
in Chinese ; in addition, all applicants must take an entrance
examination.
The 1-year program includes English , Chinese , education ,
social studies , arithmetic , health education , and either car
pentry (for men) or housecraft ( for women) , plus electives such
as music . The program is designed with a minimum of formal
academic study and a major emphasis on modern educational
methods and philosophy taught through demonstrations and group
activities . Instruction is in Chinese , and assigned references
are normally in Chinese.
Graduates of this program obtain a Training College
Certificate (one-year course ) . They may teach in Government ,
Grant, or subsidized primary schools , but are not normally
eligible for promotion to assistant masters or mistresses .
They bear the official title of Primary School Teacher , and are
commonly known as " qualified primary school teacher. "
The 1-year program is available at Grantham Training
College, founded in 1951 in Kowloon, where it is the only course
offered , and ( since 1957 ) also at Northcote Training College .
This same 1-year program was also given from 1946 to 1954 at
the former Rural Training College, now part of Grantham.
3. An inservice teacher training program prepares academically
eligible primary teachers ( i.e. , those who possess a Hong Kong
English or Chinese School Certificate or the equivalent )
to attain the status of " qualified primary school teacher . "
Candidates must have had at least 3 years of teaching experience
to gain entrance to this program. The course is given in the
evenings over a period of 2 years , and covers approximately
the same ground as that covered in the 1-year day course
described above , with some variations in curriculum depending
upon whether the teacher is employed in urban or rural schools.
The 2 -year part-time inservice course is available at both
Grantham and Northcote , and also, for the present , in the
Evening Institute Adult Education Program.
4. A special 1-year course currently open only to individuals
holding diplomas from Chung Chi and New Asia Colleges prepares
students to teach in Chinese secondary schools . In addition
to possessing the required diploma , candidates must take an
entrance examination. The curriculum covers basic professional
education, language , and two optional subjects , plus at least
10 weeks of supervised practice teaching . Graduates of this
course receive a special certificate making them eligible to
teach at the secondary level in Chinese schools only.
29
Secondary Teacher Training
The University of Hong Kong offers several different programs in
the field of teacher training . The Department of Education of the Faculty
of Arts offers a 1 -year postgraduate program in professional education
leading to the Diploma in Education , (Dip.Ed. ) for the training of sec
ondary teachers . Admission to the program is based on either the B.A.
or the B.S. from the University of Hong Kong or other universities
approved by the University Senate for this purpose . To obtain the Diploma,
students must pass written examinations in principles of education, edu
cational psychology and child development , methods of teaching , the
British educational system, history of education in Hong Kong , and health
education , as well as complete at least 60 school days of practice
teaching . In addition, they must fulfill certain course requirements
and write a paper or do special research in a subject matter field .
Education courses are not offered as part of the regular undergraduate
program.
In 1956, the university added a 2 -year , part-time , evening pro
gram leading to the same Diploma in Education . Entrance requirements
are the same as for the day program, except that the student must be a
university graduate of at least 5 years ' standing .
A postgraduate Certificate in Education (Cert.Ed. ) is offered for
graduates of universities whose programs are not recognized by the
University of Hong Kong Senate as qualifying students for admission to
the Diploma in Education course above . The program for the Certificate
in Education is essentially the same as that for the Diploma in Education
and may be taken either full- time ( 1-year ) or part-time ( 2 -years ) .
A teacher holding the Diploma in Education, who has also had at
least 2 years of subsequent teaching experience , may work toward the
Master of Arts in Education ( M.S.Ed. ) . This degree requires at least 2
years of full-time or at least 3 but not more than 4 years of part-time
graduate study in the theory of education , educational psychology, and
teaching methods , plus the preparation of a thesis .
In order to encourage prospective teachers , the Hong Kong Govern
ment provides a number of scholarship grants , "bursaries" (grants to
intending teachers ) , and maintenance allowances to students following
these various programs , or preparing to do so in the Sixth Form of the
Anglo -Chinese secondary schools or at one of the 6 Chinese post-secondary
colleges approved by the Education Department for this purpose .
8/
As of February 1960, Hong Kong Government scholarships and bursaries
were tenable at the following day colleges : Chu Hai , Chung Chi , Hong
Kong Baptist , New Asia , and the United College of Hong Kong. See
chart on pages 24 and 25.
30
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ch'ung Chi College Bulletin 1955-56. Hong Kong : Man Wah Printing Co. ,
n.d. 52 p.
Chung Chi College 1958. Hong Kong : South East Printing Press , 1958. 12 p .
Cramer, John Francis . "The Chinese Colleges in Hong Kong. " Comparative
Education Review 3 : 26-29, June 1959.
Foster, J. F. , ed. Commonwealth Universities Yearbook : 1958. Edinburgh:
R. & R. Clark Ltd. , 1958. pp . 305-10. (Also 1959 edition. )
Government of Hong Kong . Annual Report . Hong Kong : Government Press.
Published annually in February, March, or April covering previous
year. Recent issues approx . 400 p. illus . HK$ 7.50 Approx.
$1.35 U.S.7 . Contains chapter on Education.
Government of Hong Kong. Education Ordinance , 1952. ( No. 33 of 1952 ) .
1958 Reprint , with amendments . Hong Kong : Government Press ,
April 1958. 80 p.
Annual Departmental Reports 1954-55: Education.
Hong Kong: Government Press , 1955 , 120 p. HK$ 7 Approx.
$1.25 U.S.7.
Hong Kong Education Department . Annual Summary: 1955-56, 1956-57, and
1958–59 . Hong Kong:
Kong : Government Press , Java Road. Published in
1956, 1957 , and 1959 respectively. Approx. 55 cents U.S.7.
Grant Code . 1956. 21 p . ( Processed) .
Regulations for the Conduct of Grant-in-Aid Schools.
(no date 13 p. (Processed) .
Regulations for the Conduct of Subsidized Schools . 1957 .
10 p. (Processed).
Subsidy Code . 1957. 9 p. (Processed) .
Triennial Survey: 1955-58. Hong Kong : Government Press ,
Java Road, 1958. 117 p. HK$ 5. Approx . 95 cents U.S.7.
Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Syndicate Constitution. [no date].
4 p. (Processed).
Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Examination Regulations . no date .
3 p. (Processed) .
31
Hong Kong English School Certificate Syndicate Constitution. Revised ,
November 1959. 5 p. ( Processed) .
Hong Kong School Certificate Syndicate . Hong Kong English School
Certificate Examination: Regulations and Syllabuses for 1959.
Hong Kong : Ling Kee Book Store , 1959. 92 p .
"In the Mencius Tradition. " Asia Foundation Program Bulletin,
December 1956.
Mellor, B. Brief Notes on the Certification of Educational Achievement
in Hong Kong Secondary and Post-Secondary Schools . Washington, D.C.s
British Embassy, Nov. 1958. 10 p. ( Processed) .
Morphet , Edgar L. " Education in Hong Kong : Some Observations and
Impressions , " University of Hong Kong Journal of Education
14: 70-84 , 1956.
Priestly, K. E. Some Problems of Higher Education in Hong Kong .
Hong Kong : Hong Kong University Press , 1958. 60 p .
" The Teaching of Education in the University of Hong Kong .
Scientia Paedogogica : Review of the International Secretariat for
the University Study of Education , Vol. IV , Nos . 1 & 2 , 1958.
pp. 1-15. Published by " De Sikkel " Publishing Co. , 116 Lamoriniere
straat , Antwerp, Belgium. $1.50 per copy; $ 2.50 per year .
Priestley, K. E. and Beryl R. Wright . Mental Health and Education in
Hong Kong. Hong Kong : Hong Kong University Press, 1956. 97 p .
Available Oxford University Press , London, $1.207.
Short Range Plan of New Asia College 1956-60. Hong Kong : New Asia
College , n.d. 27 p .
Simpson, R. F. Graduate Employment in Hong Kong and the Problems of
University Expansion. University of Hong Kong, March 1959.
211 p. Appendices . (Processed. )
UNESCO. World Survey of Education. Handbook of Educational Organization
and Statistics . Paris : the Organization, 1955. pp. 794-97.
World Survey of Education- II : Primary Education. Paris :
the Organization , 1958. pp. 1144-49.
University of Hong Kong . Calendar 1958-59. Hong Kong : Cathay Press ,
n.d. 180 p . (Also 1959-60 Calendar) .
32
University of Hong Kong. Handbook of the Matriculation Examination 1958
and 1959. Hong Kong : South China Morning Post, Ltd. , n.d. 40 p.
plus XI . HK$ 1 . Approx. 20 cents U.S.7 .
Journal of Education. Annual . No. 17 , 1959 , contains
articles by Hong Kong educators on recent school expansion in the
Colony, the problems of private Chinese schools , and an evaluation
of the Chinese postsecondary colleges .
33
APPENDIX
Government , Grant , Subsidized , and Registered Private Secondary
Schools in Hong Kong - 1959-60
Legend
E = Member of Hong Kong English School Certificate Syndicate
C = Member of Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Syndicate
Ęp = Participating School , Hong Kong English School Certificate Exams .
= Participating School , Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Exams .
Cp
VI School offers university-preparatory Form VI (Anglo-Chinese )
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
Name and address Type of program offered
Belilios Public School E Anglo -Chinese , girls
Hospital Road , H.K. VI
Clementi Middle School C Chinese, coeducational
Kennedy Road, H.K.
King George V School VI English, coeducational
(formerly Central British School)
Mission Road , Kowloon
King's College E Anglo-Chinese , boys
Bonham Road, H.K. VI
Queen Elizabeth School Anglo-Chinese , coeducational
E
Sai Yee Street , Kowloon VI
3
Queen's College Anglo-Chinese , boys
Causeway Road , H.K. VI
Yuen Un Long Public Middle School C Chinese , coeducational
Yuen Long , New Territories
1
/ List provided by the Hong Kong Education Department and published
with its permission. Only those schools which offer programs through
at least Anglo-Chinese Form V or Chinese Senior Middle III are in
cluded. Schools listed as having both Anglo-Chinese and Chinese
programs are only those which have complete programs of both types . A
few other schools have incomplete second programs .
34
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS (cont'd. )
Name and address Type of program offered
Ho Tung Technical School for Girls E Anglo-Chinese , girls
Causeway Bay, H.K.
Victoria Technical School E Anglo-Chinese, boys
Wood Road, H.K.
GRANT SCHOOLS
SE
Diocesan Boys ' School Anglo-Chinese, boys
Argyle St. , Kowloon VI
Diocesan Girls' School Anglo-Chinese , girls
Jordan Rd. , Kowloon VI
EG
Heep Yum School Anglo-Chinese and Chinese,
Ma Tau Wai Rd. , Kowloon C girls
La Salle College E Anglo-Chinese , boys
VI
Boundary St. , Kowloon
Maryknoll Convent School
ಈ
Anglo-Chinese , girls
Waterloo Rd. , Kowloon VI
Maryknoll Sisters ' School Anglo-Chinese , girls
Blue Pool Rd. , H.K. VI
Methodist College Ep Anglo-Chinese, coeducational
&
Gascoigne Rd. , Kowloon
Sacred Heart Canossian College R Anglo-Chinese and Chinese ,
(formerly Sacred Heart School) girls
36 Caine Rd. , H.K. VI
St. Clare's Girls ' School Anglo-Chinese, girls
Mount Davis Road, H.K.
St. Francis School Ep Anglo-Chinese , girls
Kennedy Rd. , H.K.
E
St. Joseph's College Anglo-Chinese , boys
Kennedy Rd. , H.K. VI
St. Mark's School Ep Anglo-Chinese , boys
Shaukiwan Rd. , H.K.
35
GRANT SCHOOLS ( cont'd . )
Name and address Type of program offered
AGE
NE
ME
St. Mary's Canossian College Anglo-Chinese and Chinese ,
E
(formerly St. Mary's School) girls
162 Austin Rd. , Kowloon
St. Paul's Coeducational College E, C Anglo-Chinese and Chinese,
33 Macdonnell Rd . , H.K. VI coeducational
St. Paul's College E Anglo-Chinese , boys
69 Bonham Rd . , H.K. VI
St. Paul's Convent School Anglo Chinese , girls
Causeway Bay, H.K. VI
St. Stephen's Girls ' College E Anglo-Chinese, girls
VI
Lyttelton Rd . , H.K.
Wah Yan College E Anglo-Chinese , boys
Queen's Rd . East , H.K.
Wah Yan College Anglo-Chinese , boys
Waterloo Rd . , Kowloon
Ying Wa College Anglo-Chinese , boys
Bute St. , Kowloon VI
Ying Wa Girls ' School B Anglo-Chinese, girls
Seymour Road, H.K. VI
SUBSIDIZED SCHOOLS
Maryknoll Fathers ' School Ep Anglo-Chinese and Chinese,
Tai Hang Tung Rde , Kowloon Cp coeducational
Po Kok Middle School Cp Chinese, girls
Shan Kwong Rd. , H.K.
Precious Blood Middle School Cp Chinese, girls
Chung On Terrace , H.K.
&
St. Rose of Lima's School Ep Anglo-Chinese, girls
Embankment Rd. , Kowloon
36
REGISTERED PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Anglo-Chinese Curriculum
Alexander English School Ep
Hunghom Station Yard, Kowloon
Chatham English School
1 Chatham Path, May Rd. , H.K.
Chinese Y.M.C.A. English College
Waterloo Rd. , Kowloon
Chong Hing English School Ep
Des Voeux Rd. , West , H.K.
Christ College
Lung Kong Rd. , Kowloon
&F
Kau Yan College
(formerly Kau Yan English School)
High Street , H.K.
Kiangsu-Chekiang College
2
2
King Wah Street , H.K.
Kowloon Chamber of Commerce English School
Liberty Avenue , Kowloon
Kowloon English School
Wu Sung St., Kowloon
22
Literary College (Literary English School ) Ep
500 Lockhart Rd. , H.K.
Mun Sang College
Grampian Rd. , Kowloon
25
New Method College2/
101 Caroline Hill Rd. and Link Rd. , H.K.
25
Oxford English College
Mormouth Path, H.K.
&
Pooi Sun English School
Portland Street , Kowloon
2/ Also has Registered Chinese Middle School program.
37
Pui Chung College Ep
Ming Yuen St. , West ,
North Point , H.K.
St. Francis Xavier's College Ep
Sycamore St. , Kowloon
St. John's English School Ep
Caine Rd. , H.K.
St. Jude's English School Ep
Austin Rd. , Kowloon
St. Louis School (Anglo-Chinese Section)2/ Ep
Third St. , H.K.
St. Patrick's English School Ep
Finnie Rd. , H.K.
St. Pierre's College Ep
Victory Avenue, Kowloon
St. Stephen's Boys ' College E (Exempted fram
Stanley, H.K. registration )
Salesian English School2/
22
2
2
2
Island Rd. , Shaukiwan , H.K.
Tak Ming College
124 Argyle St. , Kowloon
Tak Yan English School
Nelson St. , Kowloon
Trinity College
Waterloo Rd. , Kowloon
Tsung Tsin College
Tai Po Rd. , Kowloon
Union College
Boundary St. , Kowloon
Victoria English College Ep
Wanchai Gap Rd. , H.K.
2/
Also has Registered Chinese Middle School program.
38
Wellington English College
Bridges St. , H.K.
&
B
Yan Pak English School Ep
Kai Yuen, North Point, H.K.
Chinese Curriculum
All Saints ' Middle School Cp
Honamtin, Kowloon
Bethel Bible Seminary Cp
45-47 Grampian Rd. , Kowloon
Concordia Lutheran School Cp
Tai Hang Tung Rd . ,
Kowloon Tsai , Kowloon
Chi Hang Middle School Cp
Kennedy Rd. , H.K.
Chung Ching Middle School Cp
Pokfulam Rd. , H.K.
Chung Hwa Middle School Cp
Robinson Rd. , H.K.
Fong Lam Middle School Cp
Seymour Rd. , H.K.
Fu Jen Middle School Cp
Conduit Rd. , H.K.
Heung Kong Middle School Cp
Tai Po Rd. , Kowloon
Hon Wah Middle School Cp
Hill Rd. , H.K.
Hong To Middle School Cp
Yung Shue Rd. , Kowloon
Kiu Kwong Middle School Cp
Lockhart Rd. , H.K.
Kowloon Truelight Middle School Cp
115 Waterloo Rd. , Kowloon
39
Kwong Tai Middle School с
Waterloo Rd. , Kowloon
Lai Chack Middle School CP
Canton Rd. , Kowloon
Ling Tung Middle School Cp
Tai Po Rd. , Kowloon
Ling Ling Middle School C
Yan Ping Rd. , H.K.
Ling Nam Middle School
&
15 Stubbs Rd . , H.K.
Nam Wah Middle School
&
Caine Rd. , H.K.
New Method High School
&
101 Caroline Hill Rd. and
Link Rd. , H.K.
Oriental Middle School
&
Boundary St. , Kowloon
Pak U Middle School
&
Ping Shan, New Territories
Pui Kiu (Pei Chiao) Middle School
&
Broadwood Rd . , H.K.
Pooi To Middle School
&
Inverness Rd. , Kowloon
Pui Ching Middle School
Waterloo Rd. , Kowloon
Pui Ying Middle School
Babington Path, H.K.
Sam Yuk Middle School
&
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon
Shoushan Middle School
&
Ming Yuen St. , West , H.K.
Sun Kiu Middle School
&
Kennedy Rd. , H.K.
40
Tai Tung Middle School Cp
Kowloon Tong Village , Kowloon
Tak Ching Middle School Cp
Yuen Chau St. , Kowloon
Tak Ming Middle School C
124 Argyle St. , Kowloon
Tao Kwan (Daw Chyun) Middle School Cp
Soares Avenue , Kowloon
Truelight Middle School of Hong Kong Cp
Tai Hang Rd. , H.K.
с
Tung Chi College
6 Hau Fung Lane and
15 A Kennedy Rd . , H.K.
Wah Kiu Middle School Cp
153-159 Gloucester Rd. , Wan Chai , H.K.
Wing Hong Middle School Cp .
Wing Hong Yuen, Diamond Hill , Kowloon
GPO 897 556
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