Hong Kong government’s move to advise publishers on liberal studies textbooks evokes mixed response from educators
- Education Bureau reveals plan following worries among a section of people that some textbooks have ‘misled students and spread hatred’
- Some educators fear the move could lead to government’s tightening control over course content, while others consider it a step forward
Hong Kong government’s move to advise publishers on liberal studies textbooks has evoked mixed response from educators – some fearing it could lead to political censorship of school curriculum, while others considering it a step forward in the right direction.
The Education Bureau announced the plan on Monday, while citing worries among a section of the public that certain liberal studies textbooks “have misled students and spread hatred and bias” amid the ongoing social unrest.
The bureau also said it would consider the possibility of requiring publishers to submit their liberal studies textbooks for scrutiny in the long run, to eventually come up with a list of recommended textbooks.
The bureau on Tuesday said it took the decision after discussing with the members of the Hong Kong Association of Professional Education Publishing, who supported the move. It also assured that the advisory would not involve any political consideration.
Seven publishers the Post tried to contact over the matter either declined to comment or could not be reached by press time.
Pro-Beijing politicians rail against liberal studies for ‘politicising teens’
Ip Kin-yuen, the lawmaker who represents the education sector, said: “The current political sentiment naturally makes us worry that this [move] may involve political censorship. The Education Bureau needs to provide more details to eliminate citizens’ concerns.”
He admitted that information on who would offer the advice, the criteria for the textbooks, as well as whether the consultation would affect the sales of the books, were crucial.
Liberal studies teacher Kwan Chin-ki worried the consultation process could slow down the speed at which publishers updated the content in the books, which was crucial for studying current affairs.
“The advisory may not be as effective as people would expect it to be,” Kwan said.
Liberal studies debate traps Hong Kong students in political combat zone
Another liberal studies teacher, Cheung Yui-fai, found the entire consultation process “an unnecessary arrangement”.
“From a professional perspective, we don’t see any need for it. The move will only make people worry whether the government would censor textbooks selectively,” Cheung said.
But some teachers welcomed the move and said the current textbooks often contained biases that should to be corrected.
“It is a step forward,” Wong Kam-leung, school principal and chairman of Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, said.
Wong believed some textbooks had a negative impact on the students’ perception of their political identity and their sense of belonging to the country.
Arguments over liberal studies refuse to die down
“I’m very sad to see young people holding American or British flags during the ongoing protests. This shouldn’t happen if they are able to see their country in a fair and balanced way,” Wong said.
Some school principals in the New Territories also supported the move.
“We have noticed some unexpected content in certain liberal studies textbooks, which makes us worry that they may mislead young people,” the New Territories School Heads Association said in a statement on Tuesday.
Teddy Tang Chun-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, urged the Education Bureau to be more transparent in its process, though he thought the measure could help alleviate concerns over the negative impact of liberal studies on young people.
“The most important thing is to restore our trust. We need to have more trust, communication and transparency,” he said.
