Two universities in Australia will directly admit students from Hong Kong’s semi-private schools based on teachers’ predictions of their grades in the city’s university entrance examinations and principals’ nominations under an unprecedented arrangement.
Advertisement
The Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council said it hoped the new initiative would ease students’ uncertainties by helping them secure universities’ offers before the exams and giving them a chance to pursue higher education abroad.
The council recently signed partnerships with two Australian universities, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Griffith University, with the institutions agreeing to admit students based on their predicted grades in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams and principals’ nominations.
The new scheme will benefit students sitting the public exams next year.
“Students from direct subsidy scheme (DSS) schools can get unconditional offers before the DSE results are released,” Dion Chen, the council’s vice-chairman, said.
Advertisement
“If students know they have already been admitted by a university, it could help reduce their exam pressure.”