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Secondary school leavers had more education opportunities and choices of subjects if they wanted to pursue further studies, the Principal Assistant Secretary for Education (Further Education), Mr Daniel Cheng Chung-wai, said today (July 28).
Officiating at the Information Expo for Secondary School Leavers 2007, Mr Cheng said that apart from Secondary 6, Secondary 7 and university degree courses, secondary school students could choose to study pre-associate degree, associate degree, higher diploma and professional diploma programmes.
"In addition to traditional arts and science subjects, vocational oriented programmes are also available. Students can choose their own path based on their academic results and interests," Mr Cheng said.
The Info Expo is organised by the Education Bureau and co-organised with the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters and the Hong Kong Education City. More than 20 education and vocational training institutions are participating in the Expo at Olympian City 2 today and tomorrow. The Labour Department will introduce the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme to expo visitors.
The Education Bureau is also launching the Qualifications Register prototype in the Expo. Mr Cheng said the register was a centralised online database of accredited study courses. "It provides a quick and easy way for people to search for quality-assured courses."
The register is expected to be in full operation early next year. Mr Cheng urged the public to express their views about the operation mode of the prototype. The website of the register prototype is www.hkqr.gov.hk.
Besides organising the Info Expo, the bureau last month (June) introduced a webpage "Further Education Opportunities Express" (www.edb.gov.hk/feoe), and a website "Information Portal for Accredited Self-financing Sub-degree Programmes" (www.ipass.gov.hk) to provide full information on further studies for secondary school leavers.
The bureau, in co-operation with the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters, produces a set of two careers guidance handbooks for secondary 5 and secondary 7 students. The electronic versions of the handbooks can be downloaded from www.edb.gov.hk/cgs.
Meanwhile, an exhibition and joint registration for Project Yi Jin will be held on August 11 and 12 at the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kowloon Bay. For details, please check the website www.edb.org.hk/yijin.
Details of other services provided by the Education Bureau for Secondary 5 school leavers are available on www.hkedcity.net/article/project/infoexpo/p3.phtml.
Ends/Saturday, July 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 11:42
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