Hong Kong teachers divided over controversial changes to liberal studies as school heads call for delay to revamp

Surveys by Professional Teachers’ Union and Federation of Education Workers show differing views across city’s schools

Education Bureau stressed importance of cooperation after month-long consultation on changes to subject ended on Tuesday

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Hong Kong students hold a rally outside their school in November 2019. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 10:59pm, 2 Mar 2021Updated: 1:11pm, 3 Mar 2021

Some Hong Kong school heads want education officials to defer the revamp of the liberal studies syllabus for senior secondary students this September, with frontline teachers still divided over the controversial subject’s proposed overhaul.

The appeals came as the month-long consultation with schools ended on Tuesday, with educators expressing concerns over the lack of time to redeploy resources for the plan.

Liberal studies, which was introduced in 2009 as one of the four mandatory core subjects, aimed to develop critical thinking and social awareness among pupils.

Changes to the subject were announced last November after repeated attacks by pro-establishment figures who blamed the subject for radicalising youth during the anti-government protests in 2019.

Among other things the proposed overhaul of the liberal studies subject suggested that all text books be vetted. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Apart from turning the subject into a simple pass-or-fail, the overhaul suggested cutting the syllabus and teaching hours in half, having all textbooks vetted, and proposed that more than half of the new courses should focus on topics relating to national security, identity and development, as well as lawfulness and patriotism.

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