【明報專訊】A PRISONER has tirelessly pursued further education while incarcerated for 24 years, going all the way from the HKCEE exams to a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and finally a doctorate. He received his certificate from the president of Metropolitan University, becoming the first person in Hong Kong to earn a doctorate from a local university while in prison.

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The provision of suitable rehabilitation programmes for persons in custody is one of the core tasks of the Correctional Services Department (CSD). The CSD provides half-day education courses for young prisoners aged under 21, with qualified teachers assigned to teach. Furthermore, eligible prisoners can participate in various public examinations and pursue higher education.

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In October 2022, the CSD signed a memorandum of understanding with the Metropolitan University to provide more comprehensive support, such as scholarships, credit transfers and programme articulation, for prisoners who wish to continue their studies. The CSD says that over the past year, a total of 158 prisoners in Stanley Prison signed up for different types of courses and public examinations. They passed 179 papers with 64 distinctions and credits. Notably, a 51-year-old prisoner received a Doctor of Education degree.

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Ordinarily, completing a bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree takes about ten years, a daunting task even outside prison walls. The journey is even more challenging in prison. The prisoner who has been awarded the doctorate dropped out of school at Form 4, was led astray, and was sentenced to long-term imprisonment in the 1990s. Though he has had to spend his prime behind bars, he has not given himself up. Instead, he reflected on his mistakes and decided to resume his studies. After taking the HKCEE in prison in 2000, he began a Bachelor of Social Science programme at the Open University (the predecessor of Metropolitan University) in 2004. He was further awarded a Master of Education in 2012.

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He then tried to study for a doctorate. He remained determined even though his application was repeatedly turned down in the open selection process. He was finally admitted in 2016 and obtained a doctorate after eight years. His academic journey in prison, which spanned 24 years, was full of setbacks. The difficulties he encountered must have been beyond many people's imagination. However, his determination has ultimately borne fruit. The inspiring story of a reformed prisoner who has overcome all sorts of difficulties to get a doctoral degree is an exceptional one. His parents are proud, and it is likely to earn the blessings of many.

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It is not realistic to think that prisoners, who are faced with the confines of a prison, can enjoy the free learning environment of ordinary people. But the CSD can still explore ways to facilitate prisoners' education while ensuring prison safety. In recent years, the CSD has introduced many new measures and projects in rehabilitation work, such as launching the Ethics College to provide full-time courses for prisoners aged 21 or above with Form 6 education. The CSD can consider strengthening cooperation with tertiary institutions to offer more practical courses that are in line with the times, thus encouraging prisoners to pursue further studies so that they are more prepared for their return to society.

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明報社評2025.01.10：鐵窗廿載無損求學心 博士成就勉勵同路人

一名在囚人士獄中孜孜不倦進修，由中學會考、學士、碩士到博士，經過24載光陰，終於從都會大學校長手上接過證書，成為全港首名在囚期間取得本地大學博士學位的人。

懲教署其中一項核心工作，是為在囚人士提供適切的更生計劃。懲教署會為不足21歲的青少年在囚人士，提供半日教育課程，安排合資格教師任教；另外，合資格的在囚人士也可參加多項公開考試，以及專上教育進修。

2022年10月，懲教署便跟都會大學簽訂備忘錄，盼為希望繼續進修的在囚人士，提供更全面支援，包括提供助學金、安排學分轉換及課程銜接。懲教署表示，過去1年，赤柱監獄合計有158名在囚人士報考各類課程及公開考試，一共179卷及格，其中64卷為優良成績。另外更有一名現年51歲的在囚者獲頒教育博士學位。

一般人讀大學，由學士、碩士到博士，修讀時間大約要10年，一點也不輕鬆，要在獄中走畢這條進修之路，更是困難重重。今次獲頒博士學位的在囚者，中四輟學後誤入歧途，1990年代入獄，接受長期監禁，人生黃金歲月都要在鐵窗下度過，然而他並沒有自暴自棄，除了反思己過，更決定重拾學業，2000年在獄中考會考，2004年起修讀公開大學（都大前身）社會科學學士，再於2012年獲頒教育碩士。

之後他嘗試攻讀博士，雖然一再未能通過公開遴選，但未有動搖他報讀的決心，終於2016年獲得取錄，經過8載光陰取得博士學位。前後24年的獄中求學過程崎嶇曲折，當中的艱辛，實不足為外人道，然而有志者事竟成。當事人改過遷善，排除萬難，得以戴上博士帽，如此勵志的故事，實屬不可多得，父母老懷安慰，相信不少人也會為他們送上祝福。

在囚人士接受獄中規範，要與一般人的自由學習環境看齊，並不現實，但署方仍可積極研究，以確保監獄安全為前提，為在囚人士進修學習，提供多一些方便。近年懲教署在更生工作方面，推出了不少新措施新項目，諸如成立全日制「立德學院」，為年滿21歲具中六學歷的在囚人士提供課程。署方可考慮與大專院校加強合作，開辦更多緊貼時代的實用課程，鼓勵在囚人士進修，為他朝重投社會做好準備。

■ Glossary 生字 /

lead sb astray : to encourage someone to do bad or illegal things that they would not normally do

prime : the time in your life when you are strongest or most successful

span : to last all through a period of time or to cover the whole of it

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Audio files provided by John W