Associate Degree - Hong Kong

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong,the Associate degrees, first introduced in to the territory by Tong Chee Wah, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, are generally regarded as an inferior substitute to bachelor courses. Its quality of teaching and graduates has been under doubts since it was introduced. Many bachelor-issuing or non-bachelor-issuing institutes jumped into this part of education in accordance to the calls of government. Some colleges, although qualified for issuing bachelor degrees, are accused of over-admission and over-issuing certification for profits. Candidates who have done too badly for a bachelor admission in the HKCEE and HKALEget their Associate Degree with a hope to advanced to UCG-funded bachelor degrees which, if via JUPAS, only 13 percent of all secondary school graduates could get one. As the number of bachelor graduates continues to increases, more and more of Associate Degree holders find it difficult to get employed and the salaries and academic promotion that they were promised by the government and advertisements. Although the recognition of the graduates gradually improves in recently years, it was generally regarded as one of the worse flaws of Hong Kong education and as paramount as the educational reforms and the mother tongue education.