University entrance exams to go ahead next Friday

Crucial university entrance exams will be held as scheduled, the Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, said today in a 2:00pm briefing at the Central Government Offices.

The Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams will start next Friday for more than 50,000 candidates, but under a backup plan, if the virus pandemic situation worsens, the exams may be held on May 22, or June 11. 

The exams had been postponed from March 27 due to the risks from the highly infectious coronavirus pandemic.

Yeung emphasized the need to ensure a safe environment for students.

The Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, Teddy Tang, told RTHK, earlier, that students presenting with fever will be advised not to sit the exam. "Candidates will be screened by an infrared temperature detector. Then their forehead temperature will be checked. For suspected cases, their ear temperature will be taken,” Tang said.

Yeung said that if the decision was taken to cancel the exams, authorities would confer scores on students based on internal school grades as well as the school's historical performance.

Yung appealed to employers to allow staff to work flexible hours during the one-month exam period so that they avoid taking public transport between 7:00am and 8:00am, when candidates travel to exam centers, RTHK reports. 
“I appeal to all Hong Kong citizens… let’s do our best to support the exam candidates. We should continue to maintain personal hygiene and social distancing. Preventing the disease from spreading in society is the greatest help to the students,” he said.