hkskyline
April 11th, 2005, 06:13 PM
Students 'prefer to go Down Under'
Linda Yeung
2 April 2005
South China Morning Post
Australia has emerged as the most popular choice for Hong Kong students going abroad to study this year, a survey has shown.
The poll of 500 Form Three to Seven students by an educational consultancy in February found that 34 per cent said they would choose Australia, compared with 23 per cent for Britain, and 18 per cent for the United States.
There were more students studying in Australia than Britain last year as well.
In 2002-2003, an estimated 17,640 Hong Kong students were studying in Britain, including 7,900 in schools.
Students were drawn to the English-learning environment abroad, the latest poll found. Thirty-seven per cent of the respondents cited raising their English standard as the main reason for going abroad, while 30 per cent chose "a good learning environment". Twenty-two per cent said they wanted to leave out of dissatisfaction with the local system, while 11 per cent cited the lack of university places here.
Tom Ng Tsz-wai, assistant marketing manager of International Studies Service Centre, which conducted the poll, said students seemed to have declining confidence in their English proficiency and parents were more concerned about improving their children's English than before.
"More parents say they want their children to improve their English above everything else as they feel it is inadequate. More students are also willing to take short-term English courses lasting from several weeks to a year before starting an academic programme. They used to resist language lessons," he said.
Mr Ng attributed the increased popularity of Australia to its cheaper study and living costs, in contrast to the rising value of the British pound.
But Ivy Ngan Kit Fan, director of the Australian Consulate's Education, Science and Training Section, said more students might have chosen to stay in the territory.
Last year's figure for Hong Kong students in Australia was actually down from 23,880 the year before. "More higher education opportunities are available locally now," she said.
Linda Yeung
2 April 2005
South China Morning Post
Australia has emerged as the most popular choice for Hong Kong students going abroad to study this year, a survey has shown.
The poll of 500 Form Three to Seven students by an educational consultancy in February found that 34 per cent said they would choose Australia, compared with 23 per cent for Britain, and 18 per cent for the United States.
There were more students studying in Australia than Britain last year as well.
In 2002-2003, an estimated 17,640 Hong Kong students were studying in Britain, including 7,900 in schools.
Students were drawn to the English-learning environment abroad, the latest poll found. Thirty-seven per cent of the respondents cited raising their English standard as the main reason for going abroad, while 30 per cent chose "a good learning environment". Twenty-two per cent said they wanted to leave out of dissatisfaction with the local system, while 11 per cent cited the lack of university places here.
Tom Ng Tsz-wai, assistant marketing manager of International Studies Service Centre, which conducted the poll, said students seemed to have declining confidence in their English proficiency and parents were more concerned about improving their children's English than before.
"More parents say they want their children to improve their English above everything else as they feel it is inadequate. More students are also willing to take short-term English courses lasting from several weeks to a year before starting an academic programme. They used to resist language lessons," he said.
Mr Ng attributed the increased popularity of Australia to its cheaper study and living costs, in contrast to the rising value of the British pound.
But Ivy Ngan Kit Fan, director of the Australian Consulate's Education, Science and Training Section, said more students might have chosen to stay in the territory.
Last year's figure for Hong Kong students in Australia was actually down from 23,880 the year before. "More higher education opportunities are available locally now," she said.