Hong Kong youth need more education on politics, not less
Juliet Leung says the government should not shy away from offering our students an education in politics and more opportunities to speak up
What motivated students to come out and occupy the streets at such great cost to themselves and others? Are they just radicals with nothing better to do? Do they really understand what they are fighting for?
Teenagers have a strong will to shape the future; we don't want it to be dictated by others. Yet with obstacles to expressing our opinions, many of us fear for our future, especially if we have no say in shaping it.
For us, democracy seems to be the answer to most of our concerns. It has the appeal of collective political participation and increases the legitimacy of the government, with better representation at all levels. With such a mechanism, we might have a society that caters more to our needs and better reflects public opinion. However, behind the cries of "true democracy", we are seeking something else, hoping that democracy might be a solution.
However, today's teenagers are ill-equipped to deal with these issues. The education system has failed to provide us with sufficient knowledge about different political systems. Moreover, we have been left out of the political participation process because society believes we lack the proper mindset and maturity.
Calls to review the liberal studies curriculum must not be heeded; teaching us about political ideals has not made us more radical. However, failing to teach us about politics would only result in a degree of political apathy. And a generation that does not want to engage in politics and social progress can only be bad for the development of any society.
However, the Occupy movement has also revealed that not all teenagers fully understand what is being sought. The distinction between universal suffrage and civic nomination is not fully understood by everyone who was out on the streets. This can be seen as a fault of the current curriculum. If that's truly the case, then it is all the more important for students to be better educated in this aspect. Seeking to blame education for "indoctrinating" us with ideas of social instability serves no good purpose.