Bulletin Number One 1982

seem like ly to happen in the near future. The University has therefore actively searched fo r a mode o f student selection which can effectively reduce the number o f competitive examinations taken and have the least interaction w ith other modes o f intake and examinations. This would require that students be identified fo r university studies at a common node, a point at which all school students can make a free choice and be assessed w ithou t affecting other long-term commitments. Clearly there is only one such node, namely, immediately after they take the CEE. Since at this point students would have only five years o f secondary education the University is considering the ins titu tion o f a system o f provisional acceptance to bridge them over to the four-year University course. Provisional acceptance is really quite simple in conception: Form 5 students would apply to the University on the strength o f CEE results along w ith school records, recommendations from principals and other teachers, performance at an interview, etc. Those found suitable w ill be offered a place in the University, w ith the stipulation that they register in a regular one-year Form 6 course and achieve an agreed standard o f performance in the HLE (or some other examinations) in the follow ing year. Students would therefore be able to choose the ins titu tion fo r higher learning earlier on, and to devote one fu ll year's time to studies w ithou t worrying about what is going to happen to them afterwards. Even though they still w ill have to take the HLE, it would no longer be a competitive examination. As to provisionally accepted students who fail to achieve the stipulated standard in the HLE, normally they could apply to have a second try in the subsequent year. Other students who have not applied or have not been provisionally accepted may go on to one- or two-year Form 6 courses and to take public examinations like the HLE and ALE , but they would do so w ith a view to other ends not solely related to gaining admission to The Chinese University. The policy o f provisional acceptance is now being actively considered by the University at many levels, but no final decision has yet been made. I f it is decided to adopt the system, a p ilo t scheme may be implemented as early as 1983. The system would then be phased in over several years thereafter. There w ill then be a significantly different pattern o f student admission, in which interested applicants w ill make contact w ith the University earlier than now and the University w ill be able to assess them on many more factors over a longer period before fina lly accepting them. Indeed other institutions in Hong Kong may find this system advantageous and may consider adopting it themselves. Hopefully this w ill become a step towards solving the thorny problem arising from the examination system o f Hong Kong. - University Registry