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The Education Bureau (EDB) today (November 28) welcomed the announcement by the Ministry of Education of the detailed arrangements for the pilot scheme whereby 63 Mainland higher education institutions will consider the admission of Hong Kong students based on their results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examinations (HKDSE) and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), thus exempting them from taking the Joint Entrance Examination for Universities in the Mainland.
The pilot scheme is one of the supporting measures announced by the Vice-Premier of the State Council, Mr Li Keqiang, during his visit to Hong Kong in August this year.
A spokesman for the EDB said, "The New Academic Structure for Senior Secondary Education and the qualifications of the HKDSE are nationally accepted. This will not only provide an alternative route for Hong Kong students and relieve their pressure in getting entry into universities, but also help them in their career development in the Mainland or Hong Kong and nurture talent for our country."
The 63 institutions are from 11 provinces and municipalities in the Mainland, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, Sichuan and Yunnan. Programmes of a wide variety are offered by the institutions, which include comprehensive universities, normal universities, medical universities, universities of Chinese medicine and universities of finance and economics, as well as a language university, a fashion institute, an academy of fine arts, a conservatory of music and a communication university. (See list of institutions in the Annex.)
Candidates sitting for the HKDSE and the HKALE in 2012 are eligible for enrolment in the pilot scheme. The enrolment process will consist of both online application and subsequent on-site confirmation of application. The Ministry of Education has commissioned the Co-Office of the Mainland Chinese Universities and Colleges of P.R. China for the Joint Examinations and Enrolment of the Students from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese-Resident Areas and Countries (Joint Enrollment Office) to handle online application and admission screening, and has commissioned the China Education Exchange (HK) Centre for on-site confirmation of applications, eligibility vetting and admissions publicity.
Candidates can apply to four institutions of their choice and four programmes for each of the institutions during online application. The minimum entrance requirement for admission to the institutions is "3322", i.e. attaining Level 3 for Chinese Language and English Language and Level 2 for Mathematics and Liberal Studies. Apart from the four core subjects, individual institutions may, based on the requirements of individual programmes, determine the attainment level required for various specified or unspecified elective subjects (e.g. specifying the requirements for one or two elective subjects at Level 2 or Level 3). Institutions will also consider the Other Learning Experiences recorded in the Student Learning Profiles for reference and select students on a merit basis.
According to the admission procedure for 2012, students can apply online from February 20 to March 5 and perform on-site confirmation at the China Education Exchange (HK) Centre from March 1 to 15. Institutions may arrange interviews based on the application information submitted by candidates and announce lists of conditional offers in mid-May. The admission stage will start in late July. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority will provide students' examination results (HKDSE or HKALE results) to the Joint Enrollment Office and the results will be forwarded to the 63 institutions for admission confirmation. Institutions will announce admission results before August 3.
Details of the pilot scheme are available at the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/expo2011).
The Ministry of Education and the EDB will jointly organise the 2011 Mainland Higher Education Expo on December 10 and 11 to help students and parents gain a better understanding of the pilot scheme.
Visitors at the expo will find general information on studying in the Mainland and details of the application procedures under the pilot scheme. The 63 Mainland higher education institutions that are participating in the scheme will set up exhibition booths and organise talks to provide information on study in the Mainland including details of faculties and subjects offered, tuition fees and admission criteria. The expo will be held at Queen Elizabeth School with free admission.
Ends/Monday, November 28, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:03
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