Liberal studies should remain compulsory in Hong Kong classrooms, task force says, but with changes to textbooks, teacher training
- The long-awaited report also recommends that ongoing societal events should not be used for class discussions
- The task force was commissioned by city leader Carrie Lam amid outcry the subject was leading to youth radicalisation
Liberal studies should remain mandatory for high school students, but with textbook vetting, trimmed content and changes to teacher training in place, a government-appointed task force has proposed in a final report delivered amid simmering controversy over the subject.
The long-awaited report released on Tuesday also suggested that ongoing events were not suitable for class debate as it would be difficult to “engage in impartial and evidence-based discussions”.
Concerns have been raised as to whether the subject, which was introduced in 2009 with the aim of strengthening students’ social awareness and critical thinking skills, should be abolished or made optional, with pro-establishment figures blaming it for escalating violence among youth.
City leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in May said the government would announce changes to the subject based on the task force’s report within the year, stressing the education system should not become a “chicken coop without a flap”.
The task force’s 48-page report, published after a three-month consultation last year, said the bureau should consider making the vetting of liberal studies textbooks mandatory if the process “proves successful and is accepted by the education community and the public”.