In recent years, parents have become increasingly concerned about their children’s academic pressure. No matter how happy their early schooling was, once entering senior secondary, students still face the huge stress of the DSE exam. Solomon, a Form 5 student, has a loving father, Charles, who, seeing many young people suffer from public exam stress, didn’t want his son to follow the same path. By chance, he discovered an alternative route that allowed Solomon to skip the DSE and enter the University of Hong Kong a year earlier!
Like many parents, Charles hopes his son Solomon will have a happy, stress-free childhood. When choosing kindergarten and primary school, he aimed for a "Happy School." Solomon later enrolled in a reputable DSS secondary school, enjoying school life and performing well academically. However, Charles fully understands the heavy pressure of the DSE exams and, with the changing social environment, worries that Solomon might feel anxious about further studies and his future. So, he consciously explored different pathways and options. "I’ve been through it myself and know how anxious one can feel facing public exams."
Later, Charles happened to read a student interview in a newspaper titled "Studying Canadian Distance Courses, Accepted by Multiple Universities," which immediately caught his attention. The interviewed student said that although their grades were not good initially, they successfully got admitted to their desired degree program by studying the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) online. To explore different further education possibilities, Charles conducted in-depth research on the OSSD to understand whether the course is recognized by universities around the world.
After that, Charles discovered that the interviewed student attended Ontario eSchool (OeS), which has an office in Hong Kong, so he decided to visit in person to inquire. After a clear and detailed explanation from Alan Chan, the school's Asia Operations Director, Charles grew more confident in the program and thought it would be a good idea for Solomon to try taking two courses first as a start, then see if it was suitable to continue.
Solomon’s thoughts on his dad’s suggestion were: "I understand that studying both the OSSD and DSE courses means spending more time studying each day than most people, but it can ease the pressure of 'one exam deciding everything,' so I think it’s worth a try."
At the beginning of Form 4, Solomon started studying 11th-grade English and Math courses under the OSSD program. He scored well in both and decided to take more subjects. Solomon said, "At first, I worried about communicating with foreign teachers and feared my speaking wasn’t fluent enough. Fortunately, I adapted quickly, and the teachers were always willing to help. The classes have a low teacher-student ratio, with only four or five students per teacher, compared to local schools’ 20 or 30 students per class, allowing more interaction and a very pleasant classroom atmosphere."
Charles observed that each OSSD subject involves many tests and assignments, all counted towards the final grade, requiring dedicated effort. Classes last two hours and demand students’ focus. The advantage is students can continuously track their progress and, with effort, see results and feel confident without relying on a "one chance" exam.
Charles said, "The OSSD is not easier than local courses. Both have similarities and differences, but each has its own exam style. OSSD rarely has 'trap' questions and mainly tests students’ understanding of the topics."
After completing two subjects, Solomon consulted OeS’s education advisor again to create a full study plan. He attended local school in the mornings and then tackled OeS homework and exams in the afternoons. Solomon admitted it was quite challenging but believed it was a “short-term struggle for long-term gain.” He preferred to spend more daily time studying rather than facing the “one exam decides everything” pressure. “Public exams depend on luck; a small mistake can ruin everything. Seeing so many suffer under this system made me want to avoid it.”
Because each course was short, Solomon completed them one by one and had enough credits the following year to apply to universities. Still a Form 5 student locally, he began receiving multiple university acceptance letters early this year, including from his dream program—Artificial Intelligence at the University of Hong Kong! “I’ve always been interested in computers and see AI as the future trend, so I want to seize the opportunity.” Solomon will leave school early and officially start university life this September.
The article’s comes from:
25 July 2024
Oh爸媽！｜本地生中五直入HKU 免考DSE獲多間大學取錄
