Early Admission Scheme (Hong Kong)

The Early Admission Scheme (or simply "EAS"), held by the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong SAR, China, enables students to enter the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong or the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology without sitting for the HKALE. Candidates with 6 or more 'A's (Distinctions) in the HKCEE, with level 4 or above in English Language, and also level 4 or above in Chinese Language or 'C' or above in French or Putonghua, are eligible for applying the Early Admission Scheme which may grant them the admission to the aforementioned institutions without the need to sit for the HKALE.

Each year only 400-500 candidates are eligible to join the scheme. Most of them will attend university after they had finished their Form 6 school life with satisfactory results in Form 6. The others are usually studying aboard, while a little will be sitting for the HKALE.

The system is likely to be abolished, or changed in the year 2012, as a part of the reform in Hong Kong education structure.

The scheme

The Early Admission Scheme is the biggest subsystem of JUPAS. It aims at providing flexibility to outstanding Secondary 6 students to be admitted to the three institutions participating in the scheme. Applicants must achieve the requirements in one sitting of the HKCEE or other qualifying examinations.

Applicants will be invited to information sessions held by the three participating universities on specific dates in order to help them in choosing the universities and programmes. On submission, applicants may select up to three programmes per university, making it a total maximum of nine programmes.

Applicants will then be invited to attend an interview by respective institutions. Usually only the first programme in the priority order of each institution will provide a subject-based interview but there are various exceptional cases. After the interviews applicants will receive feedbacks from the universities before they make their final choices.

A few weeks after the interviews, applicants will be required to draw up a final list of iteration. The list should consist of a maximum of 5 programmes. The programmes in the list are divided into two bands, with the programmes in the first two priority order being Band A and the other three being Band B.

Successful applicants will only receive one offer which is the highest priority on their programme list.

Views of Non-EAS students

Unfairness

There are more and more critics on the Scheme who believe imposes an unfairness to Form 7 students (especially to those who have obtained remarkable HKCEE results but achieved grade 'D' or below in either one or both language subject(s), those who are unable show their talent to the maximum extent in the HKCEE or who do not excel academically but in other areas which are ignored by the scheme) who are required to sit for the HKALE which is much more difficult than the HKCEE.

Form 6 Study

Non-EAS students are likely to face huge pressure as the EAS students are often labelled as 'superior' whereas non-EAS students are categorized as 'inferior' or 'less able'. Non-EAS students have to face the HKALE, which is generally believed to be more tedious. Moreover, these EAS students occupy many of the university places leaving non-EAS students fewer university places.

Doubts in suitability for EAS students

The general public and many education experts criticize that HKCEE is not an appropriate examination for being a selection criteria of universities' admission procedure. Apart from this, the keen competition for places in the universities would extent to the HKCEE, and Form 5 students (HKCEE candidates) may encounter a high psychological pressure. It is also doubtful whether EAS-benefited students are mature enough to choose suitable university programmes which would probably determine their whole life. Adverse effect on EAS-benefited student (who have already seized places in the universities) learning in Form 6 would also be inevitable. Notwithstanding the critics, it is believed that the Committee will continue to run the Scheme until the reform of the Hong Kong education system is implemented in 2008, so as to retain exceptional Hong Kong students.

ee also

*Education in Hong Kong

External links

* [http://www.hksssc.edu.hk/files/Task%20Group%20on%20EAS%20and%205%20plus%201.pdf Views of the Curriculum and Assessment Task Group of the Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council on Early Admission Scheme (EAS) and “5+1” Structure]
* [http://www.ugc.edu.hk University Grants Committee]
* [http://www.edb.gov.hk/ Education Bureau, HKSAR, PRC]
* [http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority]