Language standard: About 70% of Primary 6 students have reached the basic competency level in English.

About 70% of Primary 6 students have reached the basic competency level in English, an Examinations & Assessment Authority assessment has found.

The 2005 Territory-wide System Assessment results state the respective percentages in Chinese and mathematics are 75.8% and 83%. This is the first year performance data has been provided for P6 students.

The percentages of Primary 3 students reaching basic competency levels in Chinese, English and mathematics are 84.7%, 78.8% and 86.8%, two to three percentage-points higher than last year.

Deputy Secretary for Education & Manpower Chris Wardlaw said the percentages of P6 students are within the bureau's expectation.

"We know that schools must provide intensive and timely support to students, or else the gap at Primary 6 between the better students and those who are struggling at Primary 3 is bound to be widened."

Results under study

The bureau will study the assessment results together with last year's data, to adjust where needed training and other learning and teaching support for schools.

Meanwhile, the authority said the higher student absenteeism rate reported by individual schools had not impacted on the validity of the overall performance data.

While the bureau is still clarifying records with some schools which have a high absenteeism rate, the apparent irregularities in nearly all cases have resulted from inexperience in managing the assessment.