A history of how national education was introduced in Hong Kong
It started as a learning objective, then Hu Jintao and Donald Tsang gave more weight to fostering a sense of identity among young Hongkongers
People may not like the way she said it, but it was true. The idea of "learning about one's national identity and making a contribution to the country" was introduced as a learning objective in a report by a government advisory body in 2001.
The next year, guidelines for the first time encouraged schools to foster recognition of national identity as one of five major values and attitudes among pupils.
But while the teaching of elements of today's moral and national education curriculum were already being encouraged in class, the turning point came on June 30, 2007, when President Hu Jintao said at a banquet organised by Hong Kong to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the handover that importance should be placed on national education in the city.
Hu said: "I have something special to say about young people in Hong Kong because they represent the future of Hong Kong, indeed, the future of China … We should foster a strong sense of national identity among the young people in Hong Kong … so that they will carry forward the Hong Kong people's great tradition of 'loving the motherland and loving Hong Kong'."
Three months later, then chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen vowed in his policy address that more weight would be given to national education elements in the curriculum. He also pledged to encourage schools to stage more national-flag-raising ceremonies, and subsidise more mainland study trips.