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After arriving in the United States, a Hong Kong delegation led by the Secretary for Education (SED), Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, will today (March 14, New York City time) visit the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and Cornell Tech in New York City.
On the last day of their visit in Toronto yesterday, the delegation visited the Education Quality and Accountability Office in Ontario for exchanges on the system of examinations and assessment.
"The inaugural Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination in 2012 has marked a significant step forward for the smooth implementation of the first three-year cycle of the New Senior Secondary curriculum. The HKDSE qualification has gained wide recognition worldwide," Mr Ng said.
"The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the United Kingdom has confirmed that the tariff points awarded for Level 5** of the HKDSE Examination is 145, which is higher than the highest tariff points awarded for the GCE A Level and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The Australian Government has also recognised the HKDSE as comparable to the Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education."
To optimise the implementation of the New Academic Structure (NAS) for the betterment of student learning, the Education Bureau, the Curriculum Development Council and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) have jointly launched a review of the NAS. The report with short-term recommendations on fine-tuning the curriculum and assessment is expected to be released within next month.
The delegation also met with the Ontario Principals' Council to exchange views on professional development and services for principals.
Other members of the delegation include the Administrative Assistant to the SED, Mr Kenneth Cheng; the Chairman of the HKEAA Council, Mr Rock Chen; and the Secretary General of the HKEAA, Dr Tong Chong-sze.
Ends/Thursday, March 14, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:01
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