HKDSE LIVE REPORT: here are 2017's results from across Hong Kong

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DGS' super top scorer Maggie Lam shares an emotional moment with her mother after finding out the good news.

Head over to our Instagram account for live updates!

[Wednesday, July 12, 1.30 pm]

Concerning the use of Mandarin as the medium of instruction in Chinese language lessons, Queen's College’s Richard Choy thinks that it is beneficial for the future of students because of China's fast-growing economic development. "Personally, I prefer Cantonese to Mandarin, but I think it is also crucial to learn Mandarin."

The government's priority in providing resources on education, he says, should be based on manpower demand and the financial conditions of students. He suggests putting more resources into developing IT talents and supporting underprivileged students. "It would also be very encouraging if the government can provide more support for students who do not meet the minimum university requirements to reach their dream. I believe it can improve the societal atmosphere."

Asked about his view on the implementation of national education, he says that national education is not uncommon in other countries, but points out that it is essential to think about its execution. "The government should not only think about ways to equip students with knowledge, but also develop their critical mindsets and ability to analyse, because only then will students be able to perform at their best and contribute to the country".

The doctor-to-be also hopes that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor can allocate more resources to medical care to help the underprivileged.

[Wednesday, July 12, 10.50 am]

Tang Wai-chi (right) and Li Long-hin from St. Paul's Co-educational College.
Photo: Malcolm McNicol

Both the top scorers at St. Paul's Co-Educational College have a parent who works as a teacher, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get a well-deserved break from studying over the summer. 

Now that all the hard work is over, Li Long-hin is looking forward to travelling with his family and hanging out with his friends, while Tang Wai-chi said she is planning to spend her summer teaching children from low-income families as a volunteer.

Long-hin says putting resources into education is a good thing, and that National Education is good for critical-thinking, but not useful when it is used for "brain-washing". 

[Wednesday, July 12, 10.42 am]

Queen’s College’s Richard Choy says that he intends to put his impressive grades to good use and contribute to society by studying medicine. Inspired by the advice from a professor, Richard says that "even if he can’t save lives, he can help to preserve patients’ dignity.” 

The basketball and double bass player said he can now look back fondly at time spent revising with his classmates and discussing future plans.

[Wednesday, July 12, 10.40 am]

Belilios Public School‘s Angela Sze wished for more tolerance and harmony in Hong Kong and also expressed pity for Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo, "because he is seriously sick", said the 17-year-old who hopes to study medicine at the University of Hong Kong. 

During the whole of last year, Angela set daily goals for herself and stuck memos with encouraging words on her table such as "God rewards the diligent". During the study leave period starting from late February, Sze spent 14 to 15 hours a day on revision. 

"Sometimes we needed to remind her to relax," said father Sze Chung-fung, who is happy for his daughter and taking the family on a trip to Japan in the summer. 

Sze said she hoped the new administration could better unite Hong Kong people. "Hopefully there will be less quarrels and more tolerance," said the youngster who described society as "rather chaotic" after the Umbrella Movement in 2014. "Social movements are a good chance for students to learn about society but we should pursue universal suffrage step by step."

Sze's parents work in the telecommunication and shipping industries. She has a younger brother studying in Form Four, with the same elective subjects.

[Wednesday, July 12, 10.17 am]

DGS’s super top scorer Maggie says that she combats stress by confiding in close friends or family when she’s feeling under pressure. She also makes sure to take regular breaks to simply wind down, watch a comedy show and laugh away her anxiety. Her favourites include Friends and The Big Bang Theory, and she enjoys reading Harry Potter.

When asked if she had a particular idol she aspired to be like, Maggie said that she looked up to Emma Watson because the actor and UN ambassador is a good role model for young women. 

A very supportive family is also vital for Maggie's achievements, and Maggie's mum says the final result isn’t the most important thing, but that she could see her daughter’s effort. "She'll thank me by taking me on a holiday," her mum jokes. It turns out, Maggie's scholarship left them with a bit of savings which helps the family towards finally going on holiday together. Looks like it's a trip away for Maggie, an Emma Watson fan, her parents, who run a small company together, and her brother who's currently studying human political science at Cambridge University.

When asked about the new administration’s HK$5 billion education subsidy, Maggie thinks it will make it easier for students to pursue their goals.

"I think [Carrie Lam] is trying her best to make sure more people can get access to education…I also believe education is life-changing, so I think it's a good thing that she's going to invest more resources into the education sector and I'm really happy for those who will receive more help."

[Wednesday, July 12, 10.03 am]

Richard (centre) shares his joy with his parents.
Photo: Nicola Chan/SCMP
Queen’s College’s Richard Choy told Young Post that always being open to advice and constructive criticism is important for making progress in your studies. He said that when it comes to attaining top grades, "attitude is more important than techniques," and puts his success in his exams down to not only himself but those who supported him - such as his parents, who he thanked for their continuous support regardless of his grades.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.59 am]

Munsang College's top scorer Leung is grateful for all the support he received from both his school and his family, and he urges students who feel stressed out to reach out for help and support. "Before the DSE, I called my friend (for support). I wanted to cry but I just couldn't cry," Kwun-hong says. "Last night, I asked my mother, 'what if I fail?'" He laughs and says he asked his mum if she had money to send him abroad if he did badly. In regards to Hong Kong's new chief executive, Kwun-hong says he hopes "Carrie Lam can put herself in Hongkongers' shoes and interpret the social controversies (we have in this city)."                     

Munsang College has cause for celebration after the school produced its first ever top scorer, as well as a large number of students who scored exceptional results.
Photo: Miuccia Chan

"We've always had students with good results over the years. Of course, top scorers get a lot of attention, but I feel if students can work to the best of their ability, attain satisfactory scores and get to study what they want, it's more than enough for a celebration," Munsang principal Dr. Chan Yin-hung tells Young Post.

Belilios Public School's top scorer Angela Sze wants to study medicine at HKU. She was inspired to become a doctor, which she finds meaningful and challenging, after volunteering at a hospital. During her study leave, she studied for 14-15 hours a day, and went on social media to relax during breaks. Angela says her best study tip is to not "be afraid to ask for help when you don't understand something."

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.57 am]

St Paul's Co-Educational College's top scorer Li Long-hin says that he wasn’t expecting such outstanding results, and is relieved that his grades means he can choose from any of his preferred universities. The 17-year-old added that his parents never put pressure on him to pursue a particular subject.

Long-hin’s classmate and fellow top scorer Tang Wai-chi, meanwhile, has high hopes of becoming a doctor. She revealed that she was inspired to study medicine after spending a weekend in a paediatric ward shadowing a paediatrician, which she said offered her a useful insight into the profession.

Wai-chi says she felt relieved after knowing she got good grades, especially in Mathematics and Physics because she was extremely worried about those two subjects, and the results were unexpected. Further, she's yet to decide whether to accept the offers from University College London or Edinburgh, because she'd prefer to stay in Hong Kong for further studies. Li Long-hin also says he'd like to stay in Hong Kong, which is better for setting up a medical business.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.45 am]

At DGS, super top scorer Maggie Lam scored 5** in subjects including Biology, Economics, Chemistry and Mathematics Extended. She said getting enough sleep each night had a positive impact on her studies. She also credits her parents, for encouraging her to take time out to rest as well as to eat well.

 "Their mental support greatly contributed to what I have achieved," Maggie said.

Maggie Lam shares her study tips.
Photo: Ben Pang/SCMP

Her revision methods included doing past exam papers and checking her answers to find areas for improvement. She told Young Post that it was important to not simply correct wrong answers but to understand how and why she had made a mistake.

Her role as a community service club vice chairperson also gave her valuable experience doing social work, in which she helped the elderly to learn how to use mobile phones. 

Maggie also practiced mastering the art of time management in the lead-up to the exams.

"Time management helped me prioritise different tasks. I knew I was assigned different tasks and that I needed to fulfill all these tasks. This was the mindset I had and the expectation which I put on myself.” 
Maggie's mother, Catherine Tsui, was pleased with her daughter’s achievements. 

"It means that our effort has paid off," she said.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.28 am]

Angela Sze shares the spotlight with her parents.
Photo: Xinqi Su/SCMP

Belilious Public School's top scorer says a healthy daily routine helped her achieve her remarkable grades, including ensuring that she got at least ten hours of sleep every night. Angela plans to stay in Hong Kong for her further studies, opting to attend a local university.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.23 am]

St. Paul's Co-educational College’s top scorers Li Long-hin and Tang Wai-chi both plan on studying medicine. Wai-chi has received conditional offers from University College London and the University of Edinburgh in Britain, while Long-hin has a conditional offer from City University to veterinary medicine.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.20 am]

DGS's super top scorer Maggie Lam plans to study medicine, but she hasn't decided which university she's going to yet. She says helping people is meaningful to her, especially as her mother used to suffer an illness.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.15 am]

Leung Kwun-hong experienced insomnia during his study leave.
Photo: Miuccia Chan/SCMP

Leung Kwun-hong at Munsang College says he feels extremely surprised at his unexpectedly good results, because he thought he'd done poorly due to the stress he suffered. Originally, he'd planned on studying medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, In light of such good results, he now wishes to study dental at The University of Hong Kong, to avoid the stress of studying medicine.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.07 am]

St. Paul's Co-educational College produced not one but two top scorers this year: Tang Wai-chi and Li Long-hin, who are in the same class at school.

Munsang College's top scorer Leung Kwun-hong, 17, says the HKDSE had him incredibly stressed; he even experienced insomnia during his study leave. Thankfully, with the support of his family and mentor, Mr Luk, he overcame his obstacles and obtained top results.

[Wednesday, July 12, 9.05 am]

Angela Sze shows YP her answer slip.
Photo: Charlotte Fong

Belilios Public School also produced a top scorer, Angela Sze Yik-yan, who achieved seven 5** in her core subjects as well as in her electives in Economics, Biology and Chemistry. She also took Mathematics Extended, earning another 5*. Angela seemed delighted with her results as she smiled for photos. Belilios Public School is the first government school for girls and also the first bilingual school in Hong Kong.

[Wednesday, July 12, 8.55 am]

Queen's College's top scorer Richard Choy Wai-chak, 18, plans to study medicine in the future. He comes from a middle class family,  and his joyous moment is shared by his parents who accompanied him this morning. His father says he'd always had confidence in his son, but he is still shocked and super excited to receive this wonderful news. He says he will respect his son, and give him the freedom to decide the subjects he'll take in the future.

[Wednesday, July 12, 8.40 am]

Maggie Lam Li-man, 18, from Diocesan Girls' School is this year's supers top scorers, earning an impressive eight 5** in her exams.

At Belilios Public School, counselling is being offered to students as they collect their results. While today is a happy occasion for some, it can also be an emotionally fraught one for others. Students can also double check their results from 2pm to 4pm.

[Wednesday, July 12, 8.38 am]

Top scorer Leung Kwun-hong at Munsang College.
Photo: Miuccia Chan

Munsang College's Leung Kwun-hong is one of this year's HKDSE top scorers, achieving seven 5*** in his four core subjects as well as electives in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

The top scorer of Queen's College, meanwhile, is Richard Choy Wai-chak, 18, who also took electives in Physics,  Chemistry and Biology. He received a 5* in Mathematics Extended. He received the top scorer news from his teacher this morning and was quickly congratulated by his classmates.

[Wednesday, July 12, 8.17 am]

A total of six students - three girls and three boys - earned perfect scores in the Hong Kong Diploma for Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination this year. One has been labelled a “super top scorer” with eight 5**, including in mathematics extended. All six students obtained the highest score of 5** in the four core subjects and three electives. 

Young Post reporters and junior reporters are reportig live from Belilios Public School in North Point, St. Paul's Co-educational College in Mid Levels, Queen's College in Tin Hau, Diocesan's Girls' College in Jordan, and Munsang College in Kowloon Tsai where the top scorers are.

A total of 61,600 schools and private candidates sat the exam from March to May this year – about 9.5 per cent fewer than the total number last year. 

In 2016, there were four top scorers, and in 2015 there were 11.

Reporting by Nicola Chan and Ben Pang; and YP junior reporters Miuccia Chan, Charlotte Fong, Gabi Leung, Malcolm McNicol and Eunice Yip. 

Edited by Charlotte Ames-Ettridge, Jamie Lam and Heidi Yeung

 

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