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Education in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam dismisses speculation over changes to controversial liberal studies subject

The contentious secondary school subject could reportedly lose its status as a ‘core subject’ for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education exam

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Carrie Lam says some people are deliberately making an issue out of liberal studies. Photo: Sam Tsang
Sum Lok-kei

Hong Kong’s leader on Thursday dismissed speculation about changes to the controversial liberal studies subject at secondary school level as “groundless” and accused those who started the debate of “making a mountain out of a molehill”.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s comments on the subject – which aims to give pupils a broad understanding of current affairs but which critics say allows teachers to impart their own political biases – came when she faced lawmakers at a question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council.
It was reported this week that liberal studies could become an elective “pass or fail” subject in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination and lose its status as a compulsory “core subject”.
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Liberal studies was introduced in 2009. Photo: Handout
Liberal studies was introduced in 2009. Photo: Handout

For years lawmakers had called for a review of the subject, which was introduced in 2009, while a task force was set up last November to review primary and secondary level curriculums.

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Lam said two issues had caused waves in the education sector – the debate over whether Cantonese was Hong Kong people’s mother tongue, and whether liberal studies should continue to be part of the DSE exam.

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