Labour Department and police recruitment centres flooded with inquiries from pupils with poor marks

Some Secondary Five students who failed in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations decided to leave school and find work immediately after receiving their results yesterday.

Labour Department officials said more than 300 students called them or visited job centres to inquire about entering the labour market.

Senior Inspector Lee Kam-fai from the Queensway Recruiting Centre said nearly 200 people, mostly new Secondary Five graduates, applied for police constable positions yesterday, five times more than usual.

'We are allowed to recruit 530 officers in this financial year, so far we have only recruited 120,' he said, adding that anyone who had finished Form Five could apply regardless of their exam results.

The Vocational Training Council said secondary school leavers could apply for the Assistant Training Programme jointly organised with the Employees Retraining Board.

The free programme is aimed at offering essential information technology skills training for youngsters so they will be better equipped before entering the job market. It will admit 600 students this year.

Ho Ka-yan, from the Caritas Institute for Further and Adult Education in Kwun Tong, who obtained no points in the exams, said his options were rather limited. He said he would not repeat Form Five or apply for courses such as those offered by Project Springboard.