No separate sections on Hong Kong for new history curriculum, education authority says

Supporters of move say it would help students better understand city’s national connections while critics fear important but controversial events may be conveniently left out

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One change from previous drafts of Hong Kong’s Chinese history curriculum for secondary schools is subsuming elements of the city’s development and cultural characteristics into broader topics. Photo: Handout

Published: 9:00am, 25 May 2018Updated: 10:23am, 25 May 2018

A new curriculum framework for teaching Chinese history at Hong Kong secondary schools was announced on Thursday – with no separate sections on the city’s past.

As reported on previous consultation drafts of the framework, there would also be no mention of contentious issues such as the June 4 protests or the 1967 riots.

The Education Bureau said the revised curriculum guidelines for Chinese history at junior secondary levels would be implemented progressively in Form One, starting from September 2020 at the earliest.

Compulsory Chinese history lessons to cover Hong Kong’s past

Josephine Lee Shuk-yin, senior curriculum development officer for personal, social and humanities education at the bureau, said one change from previous drafts was subsuming elements of Hong Kong’s development and cultural characteristics into nine topics of broader historical periods.

In previous drafts, Hong Kong’s history had its own designated subsections to help students understand the city’s connection with the country.

(From left) Professor Fok Ping-kwan, Professor Mak King-sang, Professor Leung Yuen-sang and deputy secretary for education Hong Chan Tsui-wah hold a press briefing on the revised curriculum framework. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

But Professor Leung Yuen-sang, chairman of the committee for revising the junior secondary Chinese history curriculum, said the time dedicated to teaching students about Hong Kong’s development remained the same as before – 10 per cent of the total lesson time across three years.