Treading a rugged path with confidence – a message for HKDSE candidates

     Tomorrow (24 April) will be a big day for all Secondary Six students because it is the day marking the commencement of this year’s Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination. On day one, more than 3 000 candidates will be sitting for the subject of Visual Arts, while around 50 000 candidates will sit for the core subjects starting from next Monday. I would like to reassure the candidates that you are not alone because staff of the Education Bureau and Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and your secondary school teachers are always there to give support and will walk with you throughout the examination period.

     Some say that this cohort of candidates are “the chosen ones” because their normal study and examination timetables have been upset by social incidents and the COVID-19 epidemic. The difficulties, uncertainties and pressure you are facing are greater than those faced by previous candidates, and you need extra time and energy to prepare for the examination. We take pride in the dedication and perseverance you have displayed, as well as your ability to conduct self-directed learning and self-planning.

     For the HKDSE Examination this year, altogether there are more than 50 000 candidates and 21 000 examination personnel, and examinations will be administered in about 400 examination centres. The health of candidates and examination personnel is our prime concern. We will do our utmost to enhance the precautionary measures in all venues to ensure that the entire HKDSE Examination can be conducted in a safe environment, so that candidates can move ahead from their learning over the past six years and obtain a recognised qualification for another stage in life. I take this opportunity to thank all principals and teachers for their efforts in setting up the examination centres, serving as invigilators and markers, and providing students with various kinds of support.

     As a matter of fact, taking examination is a sedentary and low-risk activity that does not involve any close social contact. This year, all candidates and examination personnel are required to wear a surgical mask and have their hands and the soles of their shoes disinfected before entering the examination centres. As further precautions, you need to make declaration on health and have your body temperature checked. Admission will be denied in case of fever or presence of acute respiratory tract infection symptoms. While cleaning has been enhanced in all examination centres, candidates’ seats will be spaced out by 1.8 metres apart as far as practicable. To avoid gathering of people during breaks, open areas will be made available for use by candidates during the sessional breaks. Disinfection of lavatories has been stepped up and candidates, who will use them in batches, will be advised to queue up one metre apart from each other in silence. We are confident that with multiple precautionary measures and everyone’s cooperation, the HKDSE Examination will be conducted very safely.

     Personal epidemic prevention supplies are just as important as precautionary measures implemented in examination centres. Further to the Government’s initiative to distribute surgical masks to candidates last month based on the number of examination days, 200 000 bottles of alcohol-based sanitiser have been dispatched to examination centres this week. As a token of our care and support, they will be handed out to candidates tomorrow and on the examination days of the core subjects.

     I would like to take this opportunity to remind all candidates to check your body temperature before leaving home for examination tomorrow morning as well as bring along both the old and new versions of the admission form, your identity document, health declaration form and surgical masks. Please also arrive at the examination centres early to ensure sufficient time for pre-examination preparation. You have the backing of us all in Hong Kong. To facilitate transportation, the railway company and bus operators have announced that frequencies will be increased on the morning of all examination days. Since most candidates will be on their way to examination centres between seven and eight o’clock, the Government will make arrangements for civil servants to work flextime and call upon all employers and employees to follow suit, especially on the examination days of the core subjects (i.e. 27, 28 and 29 April, and 2, 4 and 5 May). When people going to work leave home earlier or later than usual, traffic will be less congested for candidates travelling to their examination centres.

     Mr Sam Hui’s online concert last week was a resounding success. Perhaps some young people listened to his songs for the first time. However, I am sure they too could feel the powerful encouragement conveyed by his classics. Here I would like to share with candidates these lyrics from the late Ms Teresa Teng’s Down the Path of Life: “Rough as the path may be, fear not the test – for a rosy picture is close ahead”. While I have to say that this year has been a tough year, I am sure that having gone through all these ordeals, our young people will grow stronger, and when the bad times are behind us, a brighter future will come. To all HKDSE Examination candidates, I sincerely hope you will be able to tackle the examination to the best of your ability in a relaxed manner. Best wishes to you all!

23 April 2020