About 91 percent of candidates for Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE) say they are aware of the increasing number of artificial-intelligence-related interdisciplinary programs offered by tertiary institutions, with 19.8 percent adding they would apply for them, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), also found that 94.1 percent of fifth- and sixth- grade high school students believe that AI will affect their future study and career development. More than a half of them hope to be able to utilize AI tools in their chosen fields.
Between May and June, the HKFYG interviewed 1,456 students, comprising 490 current DSE candidates and 966 Secondary 5 students, through online questionnaires, to discover their educational pathway planning.
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Andy Chan Ying-kit, supervisor of HKFYG, explained at a news conference on Thursday that amid the shifts in the job market and the burgeoning development of AI, higher education institutions in Hong Kong have introduced 14 interdisciplinary AI programs this year. With over 90 percent of prospective college students realizing the importance of the AI trend, about 20 percent of them intent to apply for those AI-related programs.
Chan recommended that high-school graduates should cultivate interdisciplinary thinking and adroitly integrate AI tools with their specialized knowledge when selecting their majors.
About 94 percent of the surveyed students agree that AI will have a profound impact on their future studies and career, and more than half of them hope to apply AI technology in the fields that interest them.
Among the 490 interviewed DSE candidates, 59 percent want to obtain a bachelor’s degree after leaving high school. About 14 percent and 19 percent of the candidates said would consider pursuing higher education overseas or in the Chinese mainland respectively.
The survey also highlighted DSE candidates’ feelings of stress concerning their results, which are due to be published on July 16. The questionnaire rated stress on a scale from 1 to 10, with 52.9 percent scoring between 7 to 10, which indicates a high degree of pressure.
The proportion had increased by over 10 percent year-on-year, marking a record high in the past six years.
About 48 percent — the highest number in three years — of current candidates described planning for further education and career direction as "extremely challenging”,.
Chan said that the rise in stress levels among candidates is associated with the economic slowdown and shrinking job market, as well as other factors.
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He encouraged candidates to make back-up plans in case of poor results.
DSE candidate Or Man-ching said she was worried about balancing her interests with career development. She wants to be a kindergarten teacher, but the city’s declining fertility rate is clouding her career prospects.
“I still think young people should choose to do things they are interested in”, Or said, stressing that failure in DSE is not equal to a failure in life.
The HKFYG said that since Sept 1 its hotline has received 8,415 calls from DSE candidates and their parents in need of help, with most cases involving examination stress, uncertain career paths, as well as parents’ anxiety over their children’s future.
The organization said it has published a DSE Result Release Guide, which includes the latest information on the AI-related programs to better assist DSE candidates.
Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com
