Motion on teaching of Chinese history at junior secondary level passed in Hong Kong’s Legco
But many pan-democrats say move, aimed at addressing the ‘problem of radical separatist thoughts among youth’, a ‘brainwashing’ bid
A motion requiring that Chinese history be taught as an independent and compulsory subject at the junior secondary level, which pro-Beijing legislators said would help address what they called the issue of “radical separatist thoughts among youngsters”, has been passed in the Legislative Council.
But many pan-democrats call it a “brainwashing” move, saying the Chinese history subject was the “new national education”.
In 2012, a government plan to add “national education” courses, aimed at nurturing patriotism for China, to the school curriculum was scrapped after protests lasting 10 days were held that year.
Chinese history is currently taught in all schools at the junior secondary level, but some schools combine the subject with others such as world history.
Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, who moved the motion, said that even though the city had returned to China for close to 20 years, not only had youngsters’ sense of belonging to China not grown, but there had also been “radical separatist thoughts” recently.