[Now News Channel] The Hong Kong Examinations Authority (HKEAA) said it would discuss with the school sector to further examine the arrangements for the Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination and School-based Assessment (SBA) next year. Some secondary school headmasters hoped that the scope of the examination could be reduced, while the former Secretary General of the HKEAA, Mr Tang Chong-shi, believed that the authorities could take the opportunity to study increasing the proportion of school-based assessment (SBA).

As a result of the epidemic, Secondary 5 to Secondary 6 students have been suspended from classes for most of the year and will have to sit for the Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) next year. Some secondary school headmasters said that although online teaching could help them to catch up with the progress, it still had an impact on teachers' ability to grasp the learning situation of their students, and they hoped that the authorities could reduce the scope of the examination, so that students could have more time to concentrate on their studies.

Mr Lam Tat-ho, Principal of the CNEC Lau Wing Sang Secondary School, said: "Online learning is more unidirectional, and I told the teachers that I would mainly teach the key points of learning, and which parts must be taught. However, in the past, in the physical teaching, it was possible to extend the part of the question or the question in the primary level, and then challenged the questions to the second or third level. In fact, due to time constraints, there may be some trade-offs, and the sector can be consulted on which modules should be taught in the latter part of Secondary Six. My suggestion is to delete some of the elective modules or compulsory modules after the consultation, and try to announce them in or before October."

Former Secretary General of the HKEAA, Mr Tang Chong-shi, believes that if the HKEAA starts to study how to adjust the format of the Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination now, there will be enough time to deal with the issue, and he believes that it will not be difficult to shorten the duration of the examination and reduce the number of compulsory questions in terms of technology. He suggested that the HKEAA should take the opportunity to consider increasing the proportion of SBA grading.

Mr Tang said, "After so many editions of the HKDSE Examination, many schools and teachers have already mastered the standards. If we can centralise the SBA for all schools, we will be able to get a good grasp of the marking standards, and there will still be a centralised marking mechanism to ensure fairness. Candidates will be able to know their approximate standards from their performance in schools, and will know how to strive for them in the public examinations."

The HKEAA will discuss with the school sector to further examine the arrangements for diploma and SBA next year, formulate a suitable proposal and submit it to the Public Examinations Board for consideration, and will announce any decision as soon as possible.