Study in Hong Kong
Education in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom; in particular the English education system of Hong Kong was modernized by the British in 1861. The system can be described as extremely competitive by global standards.
History
Prior to 1841, the territory we know today as Hong Kong was part of the Qing Empire. Historian Anthony Sweeting believes, as early as Han Dynasty, some forms of education provision existed, varied from the traditional village schools (which taught basic reading and writing), vocationally oriented monastery schools, to study halls and colleges designed to prepare students for the Civil service examination.
Small village Chinese schools were observed by the British missionaries when they arrived circa 1843. Anthony Sweeting believes those small village schools existed in Chek Chu, Shek Pai Wan, Heung Kong Tsai and Wong Nai Chong on Hong Kong Island, although proof is no longer available.
One of the earliest schools with reliable records was Li Ying College established in 1075 in present day New Territories. By 1860 Hong Kong had 20 village schools. Chinese who were wealthy did not educate their children in Hong Kong, instead they sent them back to the mainland for traditional Chinese education. The changes came with the arrival of the British in 1841.
At first Hong Kong's education came from Protestant and Catholic missionaries who provided social services. Italian missionaries began to provide boy-only education to British and Chinese youth in 1843. By 1861 Frederick Stewart would become "The Founder of Hong Kong Education" for integrating a modern western-style education model into the Colonial Hong Kong school system. One of the much contested debate was whether schools should offer Vernacular education, teaching in Chinese at all. Education was considered a luxury for the elite and the rich. The first school to open the floodgate of western medical practice to the Far East was the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in 1887. The push for Chinese education in a British system did not begin until the rise of social awareness of the May Fourth Movement in 1919 and New Life Movement in 1934. Educating the poor did not become a priority until they accounted for the majority of the population.
Finance issues were addressed in the 1970s. A small group of protesters of South Asian origin marched through central Hong Kong demanding more schooling in the English language on 3 June 2007.
International education
International institutions provide both primary and secondary education in Hong Kong. International institutions like Li Po Chun United World College, Hong Kong International School, German Swiss International School, Canadian International School, French International School and Chinese International School teach with English as the primary language, with some sections bilingual in German, French and Chinese.
International school students rarely take Hong Kong public exams. British students take GCSE, IGCSE and A-levels. US students take SATs. Canadian and Other international student follows International Baccalaureate (IBDP) program, and enter universities through non-JUPAS direct entry. International students apply on a per school basis, whereas Hong Kong local students submit 1 application for multiple local universities as a JUPAS applicant.
Tertiary education
With 8 universities and several other tertiary institutions in just one city, tertiary education plays a key role in the education system. Of the 36,660 students who attended the HKALE in 2003, 18,049 (49.2%) of them fulfilled their general entry requirement to their respective university, usually a pass in Chinese Language and Culture and Use of English, plus another two A-level subjects (or one A-level subject and two AS-level subjects). Students who sit for the HKALE first time have a success rate of 75.8%. There are 19 different Advanced Level and 20 different AS-level subjects available. The cost of undergraduate, full-degree, full-time programs tend to be around HK$40,000 - 50,000 a year, with the cost being higher for engineering and medical students. The reason for this relatively low cost is due to heavy government subsidization. Being an international city, Hong Kong's tertiary institutions attract many foreign exchange students from US, UK, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Singapore to name a few.
Vocational and post-secondary education
Commerce stream in secondary schools are considered vocational in nature. Students in the Commerce stream would usually enter the workplace to gain practical work experience by this point. Further education pursuit in Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education or universities abroad is common. The Manpower Development Committee (MDC) advices the government on coordination, regulation and promotion of the sector. In addition, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) ensures the level of standard is met through the "Apprentice Ordinance". The VTC also operate three skills-centers for people with disabilities.
Future
As of March 2007, a new Senior Secondary School curriculum was promulgated. Secondary education will move away from the English model of five years secondary schooling plus two years of university matriculation to the Chinese model of three years of junior secondary plus another three years of senior secondary according to the 334 Scheme (three years for junior secondary, three years for senior secondary and four years for university) with the Form 1 intake in the 2006-07 academic year the first crop to graduate under the new system. Streaming of classes according to subjects offered will be abolished, and the two public exams HKCEE and HKALE will be merged into one public exam, called the Hong Kong Diploma in Secondary Education, sat at the end of the Senior Secondary 3 (Form 6 under the existing system), and expanding school based assessment. University education will extend from three years to four.
Top 10 universities of Hong-Kong
University Rank
1. The University of Hong Kong
2. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
3. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
4. Tsinghua University
5. Peking University
6. Fudan University
7. City University of Hong Kong
8. Shanghai Jiao Tong University
9. University of Science and Technology of China
10. Nanjing University