Project Yi Jin will be introduced to 10 secondary schools as a pilot scheme in the coming school year to offer students who do not wish to pursue the traditional senior secondary curriculum an alternative to developing their intelligence and potential.

The 10 schools are the Buddhist Chi Hong Chi Lam Memorial College, the Buddhist Hui Yuan College, Caritas Chai Wan Marden Foundation Secondary School, Caritas Sha Tin Marden Foundation Secondary School, Caritas St Francis Secondary School, Caritas St Joseph Secondary School, CMA Choi Cheung Kok Secondary School, HKWMA Chu Shek Lun Secondary School, Holy Carpenter Secondary School and Yan Chai Hospital Tung Chi Ying Memorial Secondary School.

The Yi Jin/Secondary Schools Collaboration Project, launched by the Education & Manpower Bureau, targets students who have completed Secondary Four, or people under 21 who have never sat the HK Certificate of Education Examination.

Project emphasises practical skill training

The project will adopt the Yi Jin curriculum which emphasises practical skills training and is geared to students in favour of a practical curriculum.

The one-year programme comprises seven core modules (Chinese, English I and II, Mathematics in Practice, IT Application, Putonghua, and Communication Skills) and three electives, such as practical skills for tour escorts and tour co-ordinators, elementary logistics management and elementary Japanese.

Three modules will be taught in tertiary institutions while the rest will be taught in secondary schools.

Students will get full certificates

Students who can successfully complete the programme will be awarded a full certificate which has been assessed by the Council for Academic Accreditation as comparable to five passes in the HKCEE.

They may pursue higher level studies such as diploma and sub-degree programmes or apply for civil service posts requiring five HKCEE passes.

Since its inception in 2000, Project Yin Jin, which is open to secondary school leavers and adult learners 21 or above, has been well-received and the majority of students who have successfully completed the programme and pursued further studies or taken up employment.

A third of project graduates take up employment   

According to a recent survey of the full-time programme graduates over the past three years, 37% are pursuing further studies, 36% have taken up employment and 17% engage themselves in both.

The findings show Project Yi Jin has performed an effective role in strengthening participants' opportunities for further studies and employment.

More than 80% of the respondents are satisfied with the programme and more than 70% of parents favoured Project Yi Jin as an alternative to the conventional senior secondary curriculum if they had a choice in the past.