Special venues could be in line for affected DSE sitters

Special exam venues could be set up for this year's Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination candidates who are under quarantine, says Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung.

He noted that the DSE exam is scheduled from April 22, though dates are to be confirmed next month.

Candidates must undergo a rapid test before going to the exam venue and those testing positive will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Absentees may get an assessed mark from internal test results, but the highest score awarded would be level 5 rather than 5**.

Since many people in Hong Kong have been infected with the highly infectious Omicron variant, Yeung said, some students are worried they will not be able to take the exam if they are among those who have been afflicted or classed as close contacts of Covid sufferers.

He was also aware of the thinking that authorities should provide special examination arrangements for students under isolation.

The whole examination procedure is very complicated, Yeung went on. It is more than a simple administrative decision.

"We cannot disregard the health of the student and other candidates as well as the pandemic risk to society just to fulfill certain candidates' hopes of participating in the exam," Yeung added.

He pointed out the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority has an established mechanism to assess results fairly for students who cannot attend the exam.

But as the pandemic situation has improved slightly, he said, the Education Bureau, the HKEAA and others in the education sector along with health experts "have been examining the feasibility of special examination venues."

Yeung also said schools must ensure all staff members and at least 90 percent of students have had two jabs in order to resume full-day, in-person classes after the Easter holiday on April 19.

The current plan is to allow students of kindergartens, primary schools and international schools to resume in-person classes first.

After that secondary school students will return to classrooms after the core subject exams of HKDSE have been completed.

Yeung said the in-person classes will be on a half-day basis in the initial stage of resumptions.

Schools could only arrange full-day classes when student vaccination rates reach 90 percent, he added.

He said too that schools will be allowed to resume full-day, in-person lessons for specific classes in which the 90 percent jab rate has been achieved.

But Chu Wai-lam, vice chairman of the New Territories School Heads Association, has reservations about resuming in-person classes for primary students next month as the pandemic remains severe.

He suggested schools should recommence with online classes and move on after the situation has eased substantially.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com