Hong Kong must more than double the number of secondary school pupils studying advanced maths to ensure a sufficient pipeline of students pursuing science and technology courses at university and careers in those sectors, according to the head of a curriculum review.
The government plans to review the admission score calculations for some of the universities’ science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) programmes, as well as revamp the combination of related elective subjects in secondary schools with the aim of encouraging more students to take advanced maths.
Ng Tai-kai, the chairman of the Curriculum Development Council Standing Committee on STEAM education, told the South China Morning Post that many future jobs would require employees to have knowledge of advanced maths, but the number of students studying the necessary subjects remained low.
“Many university STEAM programmes require students to study the two extended maths modules, commonly known as M1 and M2 … but the current number studying these subjects is far from sufficient,” he said.
Mathematics is a core subject of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE), Hong Kong’s university entrance examination. Students can choose to study extended modules in calculus and statistics (M1) or calculus and algebra (M2) if schools offer them.
According to examination authorities, 9,114 students will sit for the M1 or M2 exams in the 2026 DSE, representing only 20 per cent of the total number of students taking the core maths exam.