政壇：睇社論學英文：副學士評分新低 乏監管誤人子弟

自港府引入副學士課程以來，修讀人數年年增加，由初時約二千多人急速攀升至目前逾三萬人，專上院校競相開辦課程，結果因為缺乏監管而屢爆醜聞，有的課程未通過資歷評審，有的院校罔顧設施不足超額收生，學生增加令院校財源廣進，可是課程未通過資歷未見提升，部分學科脫離實際需要，而大學銜接學位又嚴重不足。

正如教育人士指出，部分競爭力較弱院校取錄公開考試成績較低的學生，導致質素更加參差。人力資源顧問也指出，部分副學士畢業生語文能力甚至比修讀課程前更差。這正好印證院校視副學士課程為一盤生意，多多益善，並未考慮學生的能力。

至於副學士學位認受性低，更已成為老大難問題。就業統計顯示，副學士失業率高於高中學生，而且薪酬差距不大，副學士畢業生多花了幾年時間和學費，甫踏出校門已背負沉重債務，當局繼續愛理不理，放任自流，只會為社會播下更多不穩定種子。

he lack of monitoring results in a record low score for sub-degree graduates

A few days ago, the Education Bureau published the survey findings on employers’ opinions on major aspects of performance of sub-degree graduates. The overall score is a 10-year record low of 3.35 points, and the worst performances are in the aspects of English language proficiency, knowledge of current affairs and business issues, self-esteem as well as problem-solving ability.

Since the introduction of the sub-degree by the Hong Kong government, enrolments have been on the rise year after year. The number of students shot up from 2,000 at the initial stage to over 30,000 now. Tertiary institutions vie with each other in rolling out courses. However, due to the lack of monitoring, scandals occurred one after another: some of the courses have not passed the relevant academic accreditation, and some institutions ignored the shortage of facilities and over-enrolled students. Higher student numbers bring in more income for the institutions, but the quality of their courses has not improved. Furthermore, some courses depart from actual practicality, and there is a serious allotment shortfall of bridging degree programmes.

As pointed out by the education sector, some less competitive institutions admit students with poorer results in public examinations. Consequently, the qualities of sub-degree students vary greatly among institutions. Human resources consultants say that the language proficiency of some sub-degree graduates actually decreases after taking the course. All these corroborate that sub-degree programmes are regarded as a mere business by tertiary institutions which just want to make more money and pay no attention to the competency of students.

The limited recognition of sub-degree is a grave, longstanding problem. According to employment statistics, the unemployment rate of sub-degree holders is higher than that of senior secondary school leavers, and their salaries are not that different. Sub-degree graduates have spent several years and tuition fees on their study, only to end up in heavy debt when they leave academia. If the government continues to be so indifferent and adopts a laissez-faire policy, more seeds of instability will be sowed in the community.

重要生字

sub-degree graduate 副學士畢業生

tertiary institution 專上院校

academic accreditation 資歷評審