HONG KONG: Young prison inmates who sat for this year's Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) did much better than their counterparts who sat for last year's exam. This year's pass rate of 76.1 percent marked a more than 70 percent improvement over last year's 44 percent pass.

This year 21 young inmates from Pik Uk, Cape Collinson and Lai King correctional institutions sat for 109 examination papers, earning one distinction and 68 passes.

Inmates from Cape Collinson Correctional Institution had a pass rate of 85.7 percent, a remarkable improvement over the 30 percent among inmates who wrote the exam last year.

A 19-year-old inmate at Cape Collinson Correctional Institution nicknamed Duck earned a B in Math and two Cs in Commerce and Word Processing and Business Communication. He plans to continue his studies, in the hope that eventually he will go on to university to study economics. His aim is to become an investment banker.

Duck once was considered "lost", among his peers. He was always in trouble in secondary school, neglected his grades and finally ended up in jail for assault.

Since then he's caught on, and realizes that schooling is important.

Duck related how his father broke down and cried when he came to the jail for a visit. That made Duck realize he'd let his father down.

That was the turning point, Duck started to apply himself to his studies. "I have thoroughly changed and will be a better person from now on. When there is a will, there is a way. I will not give up easily," Duck said.

Another inmate, 20-year-old Man, received an A in Commerce and two Bs in Maths and Computing. He also wants to carry on and go into finance.

Assistant Commissioner (Rehabilitation) of the Correctional Services Department Lee Sheung encouraged inmates to continue their studies, telling them they have the potential to get good results.

(HK Edition 08/06/2009 page1)