Hong Kong’s training minister has mentioned a go permitting scholars to respond to fewer questions at the Chinese language historical past examination for college admission will support spice up passion within the matter.
The adjustment, which is able to permit scholars to sit down most effective the examination overlaying the obligatory a part of the topic and skip any other checking out their take hold of of extra complicated concepts, will higher go well with the other wishes of scholars, educators have mentioned.
“A lot of experts have said that raising the interest of students in a subject is also very important,” Secretary for Schooling Christine Choi Yuk-lin mentioned on Friday. “Besides using the method of examination … students can study different aspects of history based on their interests.”
The minister’s remarks got here a generation nearest the federal government introduced scholars could be given a number of writing one paper rather of the stream two when taking the Chinese language historical past examination for his or her Degree of Secondary Schooling (DSE).
Paper 1 accounts for 70 according to cent in their grade, and Paper 2 takes up the residue. If scholars took most effective the primary one, their most grade could be 5 rather of the overall 5**. The association will start with Method 5 scholars within the then educational time.
Choi argued the alternate would give scholars extra choices in finding out the topic, week additionally catering to their other wishes.
“We hope to create the space to allow more interested students to take Chinese history or to allow students to focus and study Chinese history according to their ability,” she mentioned.
The federal government had negative function when it comes to what number of scholars took Paper 2 following the alternate.
Choi additionally denied that the alternate used to be made because of any falling passion within the matter, noting it used to be one of the crucial extra common electives.
Consistent with knowledge from the Hong Kong Examinations and Review Authority, 5,852 DSE examination takers from faculties, or 13.5 according to cent of the entire, took the Chinese language historical past take a look at this time, up from 12.7 according to cent or 5,493 in 2023.
Chan Chi-wa, a veteran Chinese language historical past professor with about 30 years of enjoy, predicted the primary difficulties with the alternate could be motivating some scholars to aim each papers and learn how to prepare categories and manpower for 2 teams of pupils.
However he mentioned the alternate would additionally form a quandary for academics, as some scholars would decide to sit down just one paper when educators may imagine they’d the power to do each.
“Should the teacher encourage the student to also sit for Paper 2 or should they respect the opinion of the student,” he mentioned.
Lawrence Wan Siu-yin, the pinnacle of the Chinese language historical past area at St Stephen’s Ladies’ School, mentioned permitting scholars to select would support cater to their other wishes.
“For students who are not as capable, allowing them to not study Paper 2 will give them more space … this will mean that there is less examination pressure,” he mentioned. “It will also mean that these students can focus their time more on studying the compulsory components.”
The professor, who has about two decades of enjoy, added he doubted educators would face any problem in making plans the curriculum.
Ho Hon-kuen, fundamental of the Centre of Nationwide Historical past Schooling (Hong Kong), mentioned he anticipated the adjustment would govern to extra scholars taking over the topic because the curriculum could be extra inviting.
“This arrangement is very good, as it gives students another choice,” he mentioned. “They can be their own bosses by being able to make their own decisions.”
