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Qualification acquired under the Project Springboard is comparable to a standard of five passes in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) for the purpose of continuing education and employment, though not eligible for admission to Secondary Six, a spokesman for the Education and Manpower Bureau reiterated today (August 17).
The spokesman stressed that students who wished to pursue study at Secondary Six in the traditional education stream should have six passes or above, or five passes or above with not less than eight points in one sitting of the HKCEE. This is not the same as the qualification a student will obtain after satisfactory completion of the Project Springboard courses.
"The Project Springboard has been designed to provide another avenue for those who could not get a satisfactory result at the HKCEE or adult learners to pursue continuing education. Its serves to provide a newly developed articulation ladder for continuing education, apart from the traditional secondary education" he said.
"Courses offered are geared to practical application, suitable for those students who could not develop fully their potentials under traditional secondary education and thus enhancing their knowledge in practical subjects and employability."
The spokesman further explained that the 10 member institutes of the Federation for Continuing Education in Tertiary Institutions had agreed to mutually recognise qualifications obtained from the programme as comparable to five passes in the HKCEE. This would enable the students to meet the requirement for enrolment in the more advanced continuing education courses offered by the institutes leading to certificates, diplomas, sub-degree courses and perhaps even local and overseas degree courses.
He added that the Education and Manpower Bureau would soon set up a quality assurance committee to assess the quality of the courses delivered by the institutions under the Project Springboard to ensure that the courses attain the required standard. The process to ensure the qualification under the Project Springboard being comparable to five passes in the HKCEE is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The Bureau will introduce the programme to employers shortly.
Application is open for the full-time and part-time courses under the Project Springboard until September 9. The Government will refund 30 per cent of the school fee to a student for each module he has satisfactorily completed under the programme. All students may apply for a non-means tested loan, while full-time students can also apply for a travel subsidy.
End/Thursday, August 17, 2000
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