Several schools in the Greater Bay Area which offer the Hong Kong secondary curriculum are considering to become examination centers in the mainland for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education exams next year. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority is hammering out details with mainland authorities to handle applications from schools for Hong Kong children across the border. The exact number of schools that have applied to become DSE exam centers was not disclosed. A mainland school must be a qualified school for Hong Kong children and be approved to offer the HKDSE curriculum by relevant Chinese authorities if it wants to become one of the exam centers.
But students have to take the English oral, PE and music exams, as well as some applied learning and language subjects - such as psychology and French in Hong Kong. Those who do not come from schools for Hong Kong children can sit for the exams as private candidates. At least three mainland schools for Hong Kong children had submitted applications for the arrangement, including Shenzhen Hongkong Pui Kui College Longhua Xinyi School, which said SAR authorities had visited the school and assessed the campus facilities. Tommy Wong Tang-tat, the school's principal, said officials from the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications observed some of the school's lessons, while the exam authority also inspected its halls and the exam paper storage room.
This is the first time the HKEAA will hold [DSE exams] outside the SAR. We must be very cautious so that everything runs smoothly, The fairness and rigor of the assessment are closely related to international recognition of [DSE]. Wong said he shared his experience with his colleagues of being a public exam center supervisor, while the school has been holding internal exams with DSE standards since last year. Jonathan Lai Ping-wah, principal of the Affiliated School of Jinan University of Hong Kong and Macao Students in Dongguan, expected that government officials will observe some of its lessons in the coming school year starting next month. Lawmaker Lillian Kwok Ling-lai welcomed the relaxation, saying it has provided flexibility to Hongkonger DSE candidates residing in the mainland. But she suggested the exam authority provide training and guidelines to mainland teachers on invigilator conduct and exam paper storage.The exam authority earlier said the logistics arrangements for the conduct of examinations and invigilation requirements "would follow those of Hong Kong as far as practicable".
