My options for secondary education in HK

1. My options for secondary education in HK • Local Subsidized Schools 官校/津校 • Direct Subsidized Schools 直資學校 • International schools 國際學校

2. Local Subsidized Schools官校/津校 • Traditional-styled • Local curriculum HKDSE only • It can be CMI or EMI (中文學校或英文學校) • Children with limited Cantonese may find difficult to fit-in • Most have no experience in catering for TCKs • Little or no tuition fee

3. Direct Subsidized Schools(DSS) • DSS means government subsidized but with more freedom in curriculum and student-intake • Local curriculum HKDSE but a few have western curriculum as an option (e.g. GCSE, IB…) • Can be CMI or EMI • A few are experienced in admitting non-locals and TCKs • Tuition fee - Most are under HK$20,000 (yearly), but a few can be more than $30,000

4. International Schools in HK • Most cost about HK$90,000-130,000 yearly • American system: AIS, ICS • Canadian: CAIS, Delia • British system: Kellet, Harrow • Most of the rest, including those under English Schools Foundation (ESF), adopt IB • For a list of all int’l schools in HK, click here

5. International Schools with more MKs(missionary’s kids) • International Christian School (ICS) – American system, in Shek Mun, Shatin • Christian Alliance International School (CAIS) – Canadian (Ontario) system, in Kowloon City

6. A database for all HK secondary schools: http://www.chsc.hk/secondary/tc/index.htm

7. The local secondary school curriculum in Hong KongNew Senior Secondary (NSS)~an introduction for TCKs

8. Hong Kong Education System University New Senior Curriculum(NSS)新高中 a.k.a. HKDSE 香港中學文憑 Senior Secondary School F.4 – F.6 Junior Secondary School F.1 – F.3 Primary School P.1 – P.6

9. Senior Secondary SchoolF.4 – F.6 • This new structure of 新高中 is also called 334, NSS, NAS or HKDSE • HKDSE program lasts for 3 years, and students cannot start at F.5 or F.6 • Will completely replace the old system of HKCEE (會考) and HKALE (A-level) in 2012 • The level of difficulty of HKDSE is reconsidered to be between HKCEE and HKALE

10. What will I study in F.4-6? 4 compulsory Subjects Chinese Language English Language Mathematics Liberal Studies 2-3 Elective Subjects* 2-3 subjects chosen from NSS electives Other Learning Experiences (OLE) activities organized by school % of Time Allocation : 45-55% 20-30% 15-35% (organized by school) * Different schools offer different electives. Check when applying to schools * For the electives you’ve chosen, you’ll study them throughout your 3 yrs in HKDSE program

11. In other words,… 2-3 Elective Subjects* Chinese History, Economics, Geography, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science (Integrated, Combined), Business, Accounting & Financial Studies (BAFS), Information & Communication Technology (ICT),Technology and Living, Design and Applied Technology, Health Management and Social Care, Tourism and Hospitality Studies, Ethics and Religious Studies, Music, Visual Arts, Physical Education 4 compulsorySubjects Chinese Language English Language Mathematics Liberal Studies May not be offered by many EMI schools * Generally universities require 2 elective subjects only, some only require one. More capable students may choose 3.

12. How do I find out which schools offer which electives? This interactive map links to individual school’s NSS curriculum: https://cd.edb.gov.hk/334map/ Note: The way NSS is offered varies from school to school, and schools’ curriculum may change from year to year.

13. University Entrance RequirementsHKDSE → HK universities • University undergraduate programs require 4 core subjects + 2 elective (some specified, some are not) • Some undergraduate programs only require 4 core subjects + 1 elective (specified/ unspecified)

14. Universities’ minimum entrance requirements *Individual programs may have additional requirements.**X = Elective

15. Links to detailed university entrance requirements under NSS:

16. I want to study in a local school but the compulsory Chinese language subject in HKDSE is too difficult… Starting from 2008, JUPAS (HK’s centralized university admission system) allows students under ‘specified circumstances’ to enter HK universities’ undergraduate programs with GCSE/IGCSE Chinese INSTEAD OF the local Chinese language qualifications. ‘specified circumstances’ means… (a) have learned Chinese for less than 6 years during primary AND secondary education; OR (b) have learned Chinese for 6 years or more, BUT under a simpler Chinese as a second language curriculum not applicable to local HK students

17. How do I certify I’m under ‘specified circumstances’? Apply to your last school attended for certification and provide relevant information by completing Annex A. For certification under circumstance (b), also obtain reference letter(s) (Annex B) from previous school(s). Schools may also request applicants to provide relevant documents (e.g. report cards showing history of schooling). School heads would certify the circumstances using Annex C and return it to you for submission to JUPAS Office (together with your certified true copies of the alternative language qualification).

18. Is it OK if I don’t study Chinese at all? Some HK universities would consider accepting other languages as alternatives to Chinese. So theoretically the answer is YES (again, only for those under ‘specified circumstances’). There are 6 acceptable language subjects under NSS: FrenchGermanHindiJapaneseSpanishUrdu

19. These programs must follow the syllabus at GCE AS-level offered by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and administered by the HKEAA(香港考試局). Students’ results in these international exams on other languages will be shown in their HKDSE certificates in the same way as adopted by CIE. *NOTE: In either case (whether you’re using GCSE Chinese or GCE AS-Level in another language to replace HKDSE Chinese in your university admission), be aware that many local schools do not have this flexibility or resources to do so. You are expected to register, study independently, and sit for these international exams at HKEAA all by yourself. Inform and consult with your local school about this when applying.

20. For further information… • EDB website for non-Chinese speaking students: http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=6499&langno=1 • Table of alternative language requirements by HK universities: http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_6536/appendix%20%20inst%20requirement%20(eng)(r).pdf

21. local HK diploma (HKDSE) → Overseas universities? As of 2011, HKDSE is still very new to HK, so DON’T be too surprised if overseas universities haven’t set requirement for HKDSE (or heard of it). There are only tentative requirement guidelines set by a few overseas universities.

22. Some tentative entrance requirement for HKDSE By system: • United Kingdom and UCAS • Australia and New Zealand • United States and Canada By country/institution: http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/en/ir/ircountry_hkdse.html *DO CHECK FOR UPDATES FROM TIME TO TIME, ESP. THE UNIVERSITIES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN

23. For reference: How is HKDSE graded?Standards-referenced Reporting • For each subject, you’ll be graded Levels 1-5 • 5* and 5** are to differentiate the best performers • A set of descriptors indicates the typical requirement at each of the 5 levels in each subject (shown in HKEAA website)

24. overseas high school diploma → HK universities? This is getting more and more common! Here are some useful links: - City University - Hong Kong Baptist University - Lingnan University - Chinese University of Hong Kong - HK Institute of Education - Polytechnic University - HKUST - University of Hong Kong http://334.edb.hkedcity.net/EN/overseas/inbound.php