The head of a curriculum review has stated that Hong Kong needs to more than double the number of secondary school students taking advanced mathematics in order to maintain a steady flow of students entering university science and technology programs and pursuing careers in these fields.
The government intends to examine the methods used to determine admission scores for certain universities' science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) programs, while also updating the selection of related optional subjects in secondary schools, with the goal of motivating more students to pursue higher-level mathematics.
Ng Tai-kai, head of the Curriculum Development Council's Standing Committee on STEAM education, stated to the South China Morning Post that numerous upcoming careers will demand employees possess expertise in advanced mathematics, yet the count of students pursuing these essential subjects continues to be low.
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BIG PROMO, BUY NOW!!!"Several university STEAM programs mandate that students take the two advanced math modules, typically referred to as M1 and M2 ... however, the present number of students enrolled in these subjects is not adequate," he stated.
Mathematics is a fundamental subject in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE), which serves as the entrance exam for universities. Students may opt to take advanced modules in calculus and statistics (M1) or calculus and algebra (M2) provided their schools offer these options.
As per the examination officials, 9,114 students will take the M1 or M2 exams in the 2026 DSE, accounting for just 20 percent of those enrolled in the core mathematics test.
The percentage of students who achieved a Level 2 or above on the M1 and M2 exams was 88 percent and 93 percent, respectively, in last year's DSE.
Ng stated that university programs would increasingly necessitate students to take M1 and M2, but the number of these students needed to be at least doubled to fill the available spots in those programs.
Ng, who also serves as the chair professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), mentioned that students who have studied M1 and M2 may gain an advantage when seeking employment in artificial intelligence (AI) and STEAM fields.
He speculated that advanced mathematics was less favored because it was not a mandatory requirement for programs that could result in high-paying careers, such as medicine, law, and business.
"Students have long thought that the subjects providing them with a bright future are not related to STEAM. Most students who choose M1 and M2 do so purely because of their interest," Ng said.
Some educational institutions do not provide M1 and M2 and also do not consider them as official optional courses. I believe these [problems] need to be addressed in order to give students more opportunities to enroll in M1 and M2.
He mentioned that the majority of teachers believed the existing syllabi for M1 and M2 were entirely theoretical, without practical components, and needed to be updated if officials aimed to attract more students to enroll in the extra modules.
Deputy Secretary for Education Jeff Sze Chun-fai previously informed the legislative body that the government had set up a temporary committee to improve the structure of science and mathematics courses in upper secondary levels, with the goal of encouraging more high school students to enroll in M1, M2, and science subjects.
He mentioned that the overall aim of the university admissions formula review was to foster greater talent in innovation and technology across Hong Kong.
Sze, head of the Steering Committee for Digital Education, also mentioned last week that the government plans to unveil a roadmap for digital education in primary and secondary schools before the upcoming academic year.
The plan will address the main and supplementary curricula for information technology and innovation courses, along with an "AI literacy" structure, which involves improving AI instruction for educators and AI education for pupils, as well as other aspects of digital learning.
Vincent Kwong Wing-sun, a member of the ad hoc committee and principal of Christian Alliance SW Chan Memorial College, mentioned that it is advantageous for students studying physics to enroll in M1 or M2, as these modules help students build advanced computational thinking and related abstract ideas.
"It might lead to a form of collaboration when students learn these disciplines in unison," he mentioned.
Kwong mentioned that students should also be introduced to advanced mathematics in a more straightforward manner during lower secondary school to better equip them for the mathematical subjects they will encounter in their senior years.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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