Hong Kong Youngsters Outperform Their Global Peers at Maths and Problem Solving

Abstract

The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

11/09/2008 Hong Kong Youngsters Outperform Their Global Peers at Maths and Problem Solving

HKUST President Paul Chu (back row, middle) congratulates the winning students.

World Class Tests in Mathematics and Problem Solving administered by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in April this year have found Hong Kong youngsters aged between 8 and 14 outperform their peers in other parts of the world by a wide margin, with distinction rates ranging between 27% and 38% compared with the global average distinction rate of 10%. World Class Tests are launched in 2001 by the British Government's Department for Education and Skills for assessing and nurturing gifted youngsters. It is an international benchmark for Mathematics and Problem Solving. The questions in the tests are designed by professors of renowned universities in the UK, USA and Australia. The Tests were first introduced in Hong Kong in 2004, and since then, over 20,000 students from nearly 400 schools have taken the tests. In 2008 HKUST was commissioned to promote and administer the tests in the Asian region. World Class Tests are organized throughout the world in April and November each year, and the results announced today are of the April tests conducted on HKUST campus and various school test sites in Hong Kong, in which over 1,600 youngsters from 246 primary and secondary schools took part. 'Faced with increasing competition in the region, the development of talent has become an imperative issue on the government agenda. In this context, the World Class Tests have a key role to play in identifying gifted youngsters for special development,' said Mr Tony Lam, Director of the World Class Test Asia Center at HKUST. 'We are greatly encouraged by the results of the Hong Kong students,' said Dr Chiang Yik-Man, Associate Professor of Mathematics at HKUST. He added, however, that with more data collected from subsequent tests, the conclusions drawn will become more definitive. For the 8 to 11 age group, 981 students (male 637, female 344) took the Mathematics paper. Male students performed better than female students in most of the questions, but female students exhibited a longer concentration span. For the same age group, 563 students (male 396, female 167) took the Problem Solving paper. There was no significant difference between the male and female candidates. For the 12 to 14 age group, 648 students (male 409, female 239) took the Mathematics paper. Male candidates performed better in most of the questions. For the same age group, 477 students (male 293, female 184) took the Problem Solving Paper. In general there was no significant difference between the male and female candidates. Note: For the lists of awardees (individual and group) please refer to the Appendices 1 and 2. 附 錄 1 Appendix 1 得獎名單（個人） List of Awardees (Individual)

小學組 數學科 - 各級最佳表現獎（8-11歲） Most Outstanding Candidate (By Level) in Mathematics (Aged 8-11) 嘉諾撒聖家學校（九龍塘） P6王靖 女(F)Wong Ching Rachel Holy Family Canossian School (Kowloon Tong) 聖公會青衣主恩小學 P5何文慧 女(F)Ho Man Wai S.K.H. Tsing Yi Chu Yan Primary School 新加坡國際學校 P4吳鎧希 男(M)Ng Hoi Hei Janson Singapore International School 馬頭涌官立小學 P3洪銳志 男(M)Hung Yui Chi Ma Tau Chung Government Primary School

小學組別測試 解難分析科 - 最佳表現獎（8-11歲） Most Outstanding Candidate (By Level) in Problem Solving (Aged 8-11) 拔萃男書院附屬小學 P6余銘朗 男(M)Yu Edmond Ming Long Diocesan Boys' School Primary Division 香港培正小學 P5易維濱 男(M)Yik Wai Pan Pui Ching Primary School 新加坡國際學校 P4吳鎧希 男(M)Ng Hoi Hei Janson Singapore International School 九龍灣聖若翰天主教小學 P3陳天倬 男(M)Chan Tin Cheuk Kowloon Bay St. John The Baptist Catholic Primary School

中學組 數學科 - 各級最佳表現獎（12-14歲） Most Outstanding Candidate (By Level) in Mathematics (Aged 12-14) 保良局第一張永慶中學 S3梁兆君 男(M)Leung Siu Kwan Po Leung Kuk No.1 W.H. Cheung College 瑪利諾修院學校（中學部） S2區瑞雯 女(F) Au Sui Man Shermen Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section) 聖保羅男女中學 S1甘兆祺 男(M)Kam Siu Kei St. Paul's Co-Educational College

中學組 解難分析科 - 各級最佳表現獎（12-14歲） Most Outstanding Candidate (By Level) in Problem Solving (Aged 12-14) 聖馬可中學 S3黎卓熙 男(M)Lai Cheuk Hei St. Mark's School 香港中國婦女會中學 S2王崇謙 男(M)Wong Sung Him Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College 聖保羅男女中學 S1陳彥匡 男(M)Chan Yin Hong St. Paul's Co-educational College

數學科 越級挑戰優等獎（12-14歲） Most Outstanding Challenger in Mathematics (Aged 12–14) 新加坡國際學校 P4吳鎧希 男(M)Ng Hoi Hei Janson Singapore International School

中學組別測試 解難分析科 年紀最小而考獲優等的學生（12-14歲） Most Outstanding Challenger in Problem Solving (Aged 12–14) 嘉諾撒聖家學校（九龍塘） P5胡芷瑜 女(F)Woo Tsz Yu Isabella Holy Family Canossian School (Kowloon Tong)

小學組 年紀最小雙優生（8-11歲） Youngest Outstanding Candidate (Aged 8–11) 大埔舊墟公立學校（寶湖道） P4姚俊樂 男(M)Yiu Chun Lok Tai Po Old Market Public School (Plover Cove)

中學組 年紀最小雙優生（12-14歲） Youngest Outstanding Candidate (Aged 12–14) 基督教臻美黃乾亨小學暨初中學校 P5陳皓晴 女(F)Chan Ho Ching Pegasus Philip Wong Kin Hang Christian Primary cum Junior Secondary School

附 錄 2 Appendix 2 得獎名單 (團體) List of Awardees (Group)

小學組 數學科 最傑出表現學校獎（8-11歲） Most Outstanding Group Performance in Mathematics (Aged 8–11) 香港培正小學 Pui Ching Primary School 大埔舊墟公立學校（寶湖道） Tai Po Old Market Public School (Plover Cove) 華德學校（上午校） Bishop Walsh Primary School (A.M.) 排名不分先後

小學組 解難分析科 最傑出表現學校獎（8-11歲） Most Outstanding Group Performance in Problem Solving (Aged 8–11) 香港培正小學 Pui Ching Primary School 拔萃女小學 Diocesan Girls' Junior School 港大同學會小學 HKUGA Primary School 排名不分先後

中學組 數學科 最傑出表現學校獎（12-14歲） Most Outstanding Group Performance in Mathematics (Aged 12–14) 拔萃女書院 Diocesan Girls' School 拔萃男書院 Diocesan Boys' School 嘉諾撒聖瑪利書院 St. Mary's Canossian College 排名不分先後

中學組 解難分析科 最傑出表現學校獎（12-14歲） Most Outstanding Group Performance in Problem Solving (Aged 12–14) 拔萃女書院 Diocesan Girls' School 拔萃男書院 Diocesan Boys' School 英華書院 Ying Wa College 排名不分先後

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