61% of eligible DSE candidates get into Hong Kong public universities, down from 70%
Advertisement
According to figures recently submitted by the Education Bureau to the Legislative Council, 19,262 candidates who took the
Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) last year met the minimum requirement to get into the eight local universities.
But only 61 per cent, or 11,837, received offers from varsities via the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Jupas), a centralised system for those hoping to pursue full-time undergraduate programmes.
The success rate for those eligible students dropped by 9 percentage points compared with 2023, when 70 per cent of DSE candidates were offered places in the city's government-funded universities.
About 50,000 candidates sat the DSE in both 2023 and 2024.
Advertisement
Last year, 1,356 more students met the minimum entrance requirement than during the previous year. There was a drop in the number of places available at the eight universities through Jupas, from 12,592 in 2023 to 11,837 last year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
New conduct rules for Hong Kong legislators need further clarity
The operation of the revamped Legislative Council continues to draw concerns for valid reasons. While it might now be free of national security threats, political opposition and theatrics, the performance of individual lawmakers and the body as a whole still has much room for improvement. Well aware of these inadequacies and public expectations, the legislature has proposed a new code of conduct and operation for members, and rightly so. Under the new rules, which are expected to be passed and enforced in the new Legco term beginning early next year, members will be required to submit an annual work report for public review within two months after the end of each year. The council will also have a wider scope to investigate alleged misconduct of members based on evidence and complaints from named parties through an upgraded supervisory committee, with sanctions such as warnings, pay cuts and suspension of duties. The proposals are generally a step in the right direction, while some details may require further clarification. For instance, it remains unclear what constitutes minor, serious and gross misconduct under the framework. Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said it would be based on investigation and evidence, adding that there would be no impact on those who sincerely work for the city and residents. While exhausting all the dos and don'ts for lawmakers may seem unrealistic, it would be helpful if there were clearer benchmarks when ascertaining the severity of misconduct and the relevant punishments. There are also concerns that some members may shy away from criticising the government, as the code states that they should 'sincerely support' the chief executive and the government; not 'intentionally vilify the governance credibility' of the chief executive and the government, nor 'deliberately undermine or weaken the effectiveness of executive-led governance'. There are already concerns that an all-patriots legislature may not be able to maintain effective checks and balances while working with the executive branch under the Basic Law. That probably explains why many lawmakers are not known for being outspoken or critical towards the administration. Whether the code will stifle opposing views shall be closely watched. That it has taken so long for Legco to take action to enhance its performance says something about the lawmakers. The district councils and civil service have already implemented reforms in light of the new constitutional order. As part of the governing establishment, lawmakers should uphold the highest standards and work towards the common interests of the country and Hong Kong.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong criticised for prioritising pets over women on public transport
Hong Kong lawmakers have criticised the government's unwillingness to create women-only areas on trains and buses, questioning why these areas are not afforded the same privileges as those granted under a special travel scheme designed for pets. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung dismissed the idea of establishing designated zones for men and women on Hong Kong's public transport system during a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, citing potential disruption to operations. In response to a question from lawmaker Ambrose Lam San-keung, who inquired about setting up such zones to prevent sexual harassment, Tang said that designated compartments would present challenges to passenger flow management on train services. He added that implementing such zones on buses was not viable due to the smaller size of the vehicles, which would affect boarding and alighting efficiency. According to Tang, police received 141 reports of sexual assaults or indecent filming on public transport premises, such as compartments and stations, in the first five months of this year. This accounted for 14 per cent of all cases reported in such locations. The number of sex-related cases on public transport premises reached 374 in 2022, an increase of more than 100 from the previous year. The figure rose to 383 in 2023 before decreasing to 360 last year. MTR Hong Kong staff creativity goes viral with catchy announcements But Lam expressed dissatisfaction with Tang's response, questioning why the MTR Corporation could introduce special travel schemes for pets but not women-only compartments. 'It's really better to be a dog or cat than to be a person,' he said. The rail operator commenced a two-month trial in May to allow pet owners to bring their dogs or cats onto Light Rail trains on weekends and public holidays after purchasing a pass. Lam asked whether the MTR Corp would use its experience from the pet scheme to launch a pilot programme for designated compartments for men and women. But Liu Chun-san, undersecretary for transport and logistics, rejected the suggestion. Liu explained that as the intention behind male or female-designated compartments was to prevent physical conflicts or indecent filming during crowded periods, such measures would need to be implemented during rush hours. 'If we run trials on non-peak hours and specific routes, we must carefully evaluate whether such trials could offer a useful reference,' he said. He added that the MTR Corp considered it inappropriate to designate compartments based on sex, noting that it was not a common global practice. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said that designated compartments would present challenges to passenger flow management on train services. Photo: May Tse But lawmaker Ngan Man-yu, who represents the Kowloon East constituency, said that the MTR Corp possessed the capability to manage passenger flow effectively, even with exclusive compartments, citing the example of first-class carriages on the East Rail Line. 'It gives residents a feeling that if you pay, the MTR could do it. If you don't, the female-designated compartment will never be possible,' he said. Another lawmaker, Elizabeth Quat, said that while not all women would require such compartments, their availability would at least provide a choice. 'But the problem is the government has never tried, despite our long raising of this issue,' she said. In its reply to the South China Morning Post, the MTR Corp said it would not provide further comment and referred the newspaper to Tang's remarks. In a paper to the council's subcommittee on matters relating to railways in 2011, the MTR Corp rejected the concept of women-only compartments, citing large passenger flow and challenges in flow control. Similarly, in 2016, the government dismissed then-lawmaker Chiang Lai-wan's suggestions to establish such areas for comparable reasons. Tokyo is one of the few cities with women-only train compartments for rush hour as part of efforts to prevent sexual harassment. The carriages are exclusively for women, people with disabilities, and children of junior school age or younger during peak traffic hours. The Japanese capital's metro rail system served an average of 6.84 million passengers every day in 2024, compared with the 4.68 million recorded on Hong Kong's own service during weekdays.
RTHK
3 days ago
- RTHK
Record stress levels ahead of DSE results: survey
Record stress levels ahead of DSE results: survey A survey by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) found over half of the 1,456 secondary students interviewed reported significant stress. Photo: RTHK With Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam results coming out next week, student stress levels have hit a record high since the pandemic, a youth group said on Thursday. A survey by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) found over half of the 1,456 secondary students interviewed reported significant stress. Among form 6 students awaiting DSE results, 52.9 percent reported they were highly stressed, a sharp rise from 41.7 percent last year and a record-high since 2020. Meanwhile, 57.1 percent of form 5 students preparing for upcoming exams also reported high stress levels. Andy Chan, supervisor of the HKFYG, said economic uncertainty and shrinking job prospects are weighing on young people's minds. "In 2020, there was Covid. It meant the whole of society, including students, encountered uncertainty. They didn't know what was happening... Compared to recent research, it's pretty similar because we don't know how the economy will go, will it rebound or steady as right now," he said. "We found that they feel pretty worried about whether they have good prospects after they make a choice in the Jupas [Joint University Programmes Admissions System], whether they will have a good job after they graduate." Chan also highlighted growing anxiety about artificial intelligence, with many students fearing their chosen study paths and potential careers could be marginalised or even eliminated by the time they enter the workforce. In response, he strongly encouraged students to develop contingency plans regardless of their exam results. Chan also said the HKFYG will enhance its support services next week to provide better assistance for students and parents navigating the stressful period.
