Bible is the focus of exam syllabus
Christianity is the focus of religious studies in most local Hong Kong schools, which contrasts sharply to the British curriculum used by the English Schools Foundation, which sees the religion as one of many different faiths.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority syllabus for religious studies (Christianity), compulsory in some church-sponsored schools such as St Paul's Convent and La Salle College, concentrates on the religion. Students are expected to develop a 'sympathetic understanding of the nature and significance of religions through the study of the Bible and ... through Christian tradition'.
Students study the Old and New Testaments and look at personal and social problems, such as home and family life, sex, and marriage, from a Christian perspective. A detailed list of Biblical passages relating to issues such as marriage, divorce, racial prejudice, and social problems, is provided for teachers' reference. Although the syllabus says 'teachers should also feel free to consult and use other non-Biblical references to gain a modern perspective', no specific suggestions are offered.
In contrast, the GCSE syllabus for religious studies, an option for Year Nine and 10 students in ESF schools, exposes students to a wider range of religious beliefs.
A summary of the course states: 'Modern religious studies are not limited to the study of one religion. The aim is to learn about religious beliefs, traditions and practices and show how they relate to today's personal and social issues. It's not the intention to promote one particular faith, or set of values, but to promote knowledge and understanding towards evaluation or practices and beliefs.'
Students can choose to study any two from Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Sikhism, focusing on forms of religion, festivals and fasts, sacred writing, and the role of pilgrimage.
Religion in Hong Kong's AS-level is taught as ethics and religious studies, looking at the impact of religion on human nature and a 'pluralistic society'. In addition to Christianity, Confucianism and Buddhism are covered as world religions, but not Islam.
An Education and Manpower Bureau spokesman said: 'Depending on the needs of schools, we may broaden the scope of the religious studies curriculum at both HKCEE and A-level in the future.'
Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun said that only a few of the more advanced local schools promoted wider discussions about different religions.
'There is not much room in the system for such teaching,' he said. But he believed students could benefit from a wider understanding of different beliefs.
'Everyone feels badly about the conflict between religions,' he said.
