Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin credits the optimisation of the four core subjects of the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE) as being the reason why this year’s candidates performed better than those of the previous year.
 
Ms Choi made the remarks this morning while addressing media enquiries after her visit to a Fo Tan secondary school to give encouragement to this year’s DSE candidates.
 
She said: “For the factors that led to the good DSE performance this year, we have (just finished the) optimisation of four core subjects and we have created more space for our students to have the opportunity to choose one or two more elective subjects. They can explore (their) interests and abilities, and fully develop their potential.
 
“I think this is why they got a better result than last year.”
 
The education chief added that she was also delighted by the good performance of candidates sitting the examination of the Citizenship & Social Development (CSD) subject.
 
“For the CSD subject, we have a standards-referenced reporting for assessment. So the result does not mean that it is easier (for students to receive good scores) than before. It is not comparable because this is a newly adapted curriculum.
 
“We appreciate very much the efforts of the teachers and students and that they (have) achieved a good score."