Following is a question by the Hon Leung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):

Question:

     Applied Learning (ApL), as an elective in the senior secondary curriculum, emphasises practicality and focuses on learning elements linked to different vocational fields. It serves as a key component in the interface between local secondary education and vocational and professional education and training (VPET) as well as the promotion of VPET. There are views that, given the increasing emphasis placed on VPET by both our country and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, coupled with the establishment of the second university of applied sciences (UAS) in November last year, there will be better integration between ApL subjects in senior secondary education and UAS. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that, among the 7 891 candidates sitting for ApL subjects in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) 2025, the distribution of candidates across subjects was highly uneven, in which the most popular subject "Pâtisserie and Café Operations" attracted nearly 1 000 candidates, while more than half of the subjects recorded fewer than 100 candidates and nobody sat for the subject "Computer Forensic Technology", whether the authorities have assessed the reasons for the popularity or unpopularity of certain subjects among candidates;

(2) since the establishment of ApL subjects, how the authorities assess their effectiveness; apart from the number of candidates sitting for these subjects in the HKDSE, whether the authorities have formulated other performance indicators;

(3) whether the authorities will consider reviewing afresh the effectiveness of ApL subjects, such as whether the subjects can bring tangible benefits to students by enhancing their job-seeking skills, in order to further consolidate the subjects as well as the existing resources, and thereby improving the quality of the courses;

(4) as there are views that a relatively simple assessment approach is adopted for ApL subjects in the HKDSE than that of the Category A Senior Secondary subjects, whether the authorities have considered adopting the standard-referenced approach used for Category A Senior Secondary subjects in the assessment of ApL subjects and differentiating candidates with outstanding performance through five grades (i.e. level 1 to level 5, with level 5 further subdivided into 5* and 5**);

(5) as it is learnt that local universities attach relatively little importance to ApL subjects in consideration of student admission or simply disregard the results of such subjects in the HKDSE, ApL subjects are considered as an inferior option for candidates, or even be regarded as options for those with weaker academic performance, of the means through which the authorities enhance the recognition of the subjects;

(6) as it is learnt that credits earned by Australian high school students in VPET courses at upper secondary level can be directly transferred to certain university programmes, thereby increasing the incentives for students to pursue VPET education, following the establishment of the new UAS, whether the authorities will consider promoting collaboration between universities and secondary schools to strengthen articulation between ApL subjects and university programmes; and

(7) following the establishment of the UAS Alliance in November last year, of new policy initiatives put in place by the authorities to further promote the deep integration of UAS programmes with the industries concerned?

Reply:

President,

     The reply to the questions raised by the Hon Leung Man-kwong is as follows:

(1) to (3) Applied Learning (ApL) is a valued senior secondary elective subject under Category B of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE). It complements senior secondary subjects under Category A (subjects under the Key Learning Areas) and Category C (Other Languages courses), enriching students' subject choices. ApL, putting dual emphasis on theory and practice, is linked to vocational and professional fields. It helps students enhance their understanding of vocational and professional education and training (VPET), and prepares them for further studies and career pursuits in the future.

     ApL has expanded from 30 courses at its inception to nearly 60 courses at present (please refer to the Education Bureau (EDB) website at www.edb.gov.hk/apl/courselist2028HKDSE for the list of courses). It covers six Areas of Studies, namely:
(1) Creative Studies;
(2) Media and Communication;
(3) Business, Management and Law;
(4) Services;
(5) Applied Science; and
(6) Engineering and Production.

     Students may choose to take suitable courses based on their interests, aspirations and abilities. As students' learning interests, aspirations and abilities vary, it is normal for variance in enrolment figures across different ApL courses.

     In curriculum planning, the EDB uphold professional principles and holistically consider factors such as student needs, social development and resources, rather than relying solely on the enrolment figures as the basis for planning. A variety of courses are offered to cater for students with diverse abilities, interests and career aspirations. To assure course quality, the EDB has established a quality assurance mechanism involving the Curriculum Development Council Committee on ApL, the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). This ensures that the course design, implementation and learning outcomes meet the set standards.

     The EDB continuously collects data and feedback from stakeholders to review the effectiveness of the implementation of ApL courses. The number of candidates entering for the HKDSE ApL subjects has continued to increase over the past five years, showing a notable increase from 3 430 in 2021 to 7 891 in 2025. The percentage of candidates taking ApL subjects has risen from 6.6 per cent in 2021 to 14.1 per cent in 2025 (see Annex for details). Approximately 90 per cent of the candidates achieved "Attained" or above, and the percentage of candidates achieving "Attained with Distinction" (including "Attained with Distinction (I)" and "Attained with Distinction (II)") ranged from 26 per cent to 32 per cent. In addition, stakeholders including schools, students, parents and course providers express high satisfaction with ApL and agree on ApL's positive impact on students' personal growth, generic skills, industry knowledge, and future development. Data shows that over 90 per cent of ApL graduates have pursued further studies, articulating to different programmes, while about 5 per cent have taken up full-time or part-time employment. Overall, the enrolment of ApL shows an upward trend; candidate performance remains stable; and the courses help students explore future pathways.

     The EDB will continue to review and renew ApL courses, gauge stakeholders' views by engaging the industry and the education sectors in close communication, and maintain regular exchanges with course providers, so as to develop diversified and up-to-date ApL courses, such as the new courses related to generative artificial intelligence and low-altitude economy introduced this year, to enrich students' subject choices.

(4) The duration of each ApL subject is 180 contact hours. The learning content focuses on practical learning elements with dual emphasis on theory and practice linked to vocational and professional fields. There is no public examination, and the assessment is administered by the respective course providers. ApL and Category A subjects differ in terms of course duration, learning content and assessment, hence making direct comparisons between the two is not appropriate. As for the grading of ApL, the EDB are collecting views from stakeholders and in discussion with the HKEAA to explore the feasibility of optimising the results reporting of ApL.

(5) to (7) University admission has been following the principle of institutional autonomy. Individual institutions, faculties or programmes may consider ApL subjects as electives, or subjects for award of extra bonus or additional information. Taking the applied degree programmes of universities of applied sciences (UAS) as an example, ApL subjects are considered as elective subjects for most of these programmes. The EDB will continue to communicate with post-secondary institutions to promote ApL and deepen their understanding of ApL. The EDB also publicise through different means and channels, including organising course exhibitions, broadcasting television announcements of public interest and videos on ApL graduates' success stories as well as arranging parent seminars (relevant information has been uploaded onto the EDB website at www.edb.gov.hk/en/apl/ref-and-resources), to deepen the understanding of ApL among stakeholders and the public, thereby enhancing the recognition of ApL.

     In fact, the Government has been promoting VPET through the strategy of fostering industry-institution collaboration and diversified development, encouraging young people to choose their articulation pathways and join different industries based on their abilities and interests. Specifically, in order to strengthen the VPET articulation pathway and enhance the status of VPET at degree level, the Government promulgated the criteria for qualifying as UAS in February 2024. Subsequently, the Government announced that the Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Saint Francis University had undergone stringent procedures and reviews and qualified as the first two UAS in Hong Kong in March and November 2024 respectively. The Government will continue to promote the development of UAS and support more post-secondary institutions that are capable and aspire to become UAS to develop along that direction and make relevant planning. Through the Alliance of UAS established in November 2024, the Government will also encourage post-secondary institutions to carry out joint promotion with the industries and the school sector to provide diversified pathways for students of different backgrounds.

     In addition, with the support from the EDB, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) has launched in secondary schools an innovative pilot project, the Diploma of Vocational Education (Senior Secondary Curriculum) (DVE(SSC)), starting from the 2023/24 academic year, to allow senior secondary school students to pursue VPET-related programmes embedded in the HKDSE curriculum. The pilot project integrates VPET elements into the HKDSE framework, covering Vocational English and Vocational Chinese, relevant Category A elective subjects of the HKDSE with additional lesson hours of extended learning, ApL courses and Other Learning Experiences. Upon completion of the programme, students will be awarded, alongside their HKDSE qualification, a DVE(SSC) at Qualifications Framework Level 3 and may articulate to relevant Higher Diploma programmes of VTC, thereby enhancing the VPET articulation pathway. In the 2025/26 academic year, the pilot project covers two subject areas, namely "Hospitality" and "Information Technology", with around 120 participating students from six secondary schools. The EDB will continue to support the relevant work.

Ends/Thursday, September 25, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:34

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