​The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (April 21) inspected Clementi Secondary School, one of the examination centres of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination commencing tomorrow (April 22), to learn about the anti-COVID-19 epidemic arrangements put in place by the school to protect the health and safety of candidates and examination personnel.
Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), Mr Samuel Yung, was briefed on the entire process for candidates to enter the examination centre and the various anti-epidemic precautionary measures adopted by the school, including inspecting the candidates' health declaration forms (on which the result of their rapid antigen test (RAT) conducted in the morning had to be set out) upon arrival at the school, measuring their body temperature and verifying their identity; adopting an appropriate distance between the seats in the hall and classrooms all being examination venues; and ensuring good ventilation throughout the examination therein.
"The HKDSE Examination every year is of prime importance to tens of thousands of Secondary Six students and private candidates in pursuit of further studies and employment. Despite the fluctuating COVID-19 epidemic situation and the myriad challenges brought about over the past two years or so, the Government has been closely liaising and co-operating with the HKEAA and academic sector to make timely decisions to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination. Hong Kong was faced early this year with the outbreak of the fifth wave of the epidemic, which was thereafter brought under control gradually with the staunch support of the Central Government and the concerted efforts of all sectors of the community. This wave has shown a continuous downtrend after reaching the peak in early March, creating necessary conditions for the commencement of the HKDSE Examination tomorrow," said Mrs Lam. "In order to manage the risks brought by this wave to candidates and examination personnel, the Government, jointly with the HKEAA and academic sector, has introduced a series of measures to enable candidates to sit for the examination as scheduled after detailed deliberation over the past few months."
About 50 000 candidates will sit for the HKDSE Examination this year. With the examination timetable compressed to three weeks, the written examinations of various subjects will be held between tomorrow and May 14. The date of release of the examination results remains to be July 20. To reduce the infection risk at examination centres, candidates and examination personnel must perform an RAT on each examination day and will only be allowed to enter the examination centres with a negative test result. The Education Bureau has allocated additional resources worth about $20 million to provide, through the HKEAA, all the candidates and examination personnel with sufficient RAT kits for use on each examination day.
Furthermore, the Government attaches great importance to taking care of even a minority of candidates who are affected by the epidemic by putting in place various special measures. Priority will be accorded to those candidates for taking tests if their accommodation premises are subject to "restriction-testing declaration" operations so as to receive their test results early to take part in examinations in the morning. A special examination centre has been set up at the Penny's Bay Community Isolation Facility for candidates identified as close contacts and candidates infected yet in suitable health condition to sit for the examinations. A hotline and free point-to-point transport service by designated taxis/minibuses have been made available to take the candidates in need to the isolation facility.
Mrs Lam stressed that the Government will, as in the HKDSE Examinations over the past two years, use its best endeavours to hold the examination this year with the HKEAA and academic sector to safeguard the health and safety of candidates and examination personnel in the hundreds of examination centres at schools as well as the special examination centre at the Penny's Bay Community Isolation Facility. She wished all the candidates every success and good performance in the examination to facilitate their plan to pursue further studies and employment.
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