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Don't dwell on ‘one or two events’, Hong Kong education chief says on why Tiananmen crackdown not in Chinese history plan
Kevin Yeung tells lawmakers that teachers would be free to cover historical events omitted from curriculum, but some ask why Beijing unrest and 1967 riots not mentioned
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Hong Kong’s education minister has urged against dwelling on “one or two events” as lawmakers grilled him on why neither the Tiananmen Square crackdown nor the city’s 1967 riots were mentioned in a revised compulsory Chinese history syllabus for secondary school pupils.
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Teachers would be free to cover related historical events not included in the syllabus, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said during a meeting of the Legislative Council’s education panel on Tuesday.
The meeting was held a day after the government launched a second round of public consultation on the compulsory Chinese history subject for junior secondary schools.
Under the revised curriculum, Form One and Two pupils are to be taught ancient Chinese history.
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Form Three pupils are to learn modern Chinese history, including events such as the Cultural Revolution, relations between Hong Kong and the mainland since 1949, Sino-British negotiations on the handover of Hong Kong to China, and the establishment of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution.
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