Christine Choi Yuk-lin, secretary for education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, gives China Daily an exclusive interview in Admiralty on Dec 1, 2022. (FLORENCE LI / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong’s education chief is leaving no stone unturned in her efforts to bring the “national” concept back into the city’s education system, starting with the youngest students, by recalibrating the curriculum and instituting more rituals for them to appreciate the country, as well as engaging parents in the process.
In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Christine Choi Yuk-lin, secretary for education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said national education is high on her agenda during her five-year term. This would help realize the lofty goals set by President Xi Jinping during his inspection tour of the SAR in July this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland.
Greater efforts have been made to improve students’ understanding of the country, such as holding flag-raising ceremonies regularly, particularly on important days, having discussions about the Constitution and Hong Kong’s Basic Law, strengthening national security education, and incorporating elements of Chinese history and culture in the curriculum
"We aim to raise a generation of patriots who can carry forward the cause of ‘one country, two systems,’" says Choi.
Her pledge resonates with Xi’s remarks that Hong Kong’s governing power should be kept firmly in the hands of patriots — a key factor in guaranteeing the city’s continued stability and prosperity.
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The local electoral system was revamped to implement the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” following the 2019 social unrest, which stoked criticisms of the city’s education system as being devoid of national education. Hong Kong has since rolled out various measures to rectify the problems.
Greater efforts have been made to improve students’ understanding of the country, such as holding flag-raising ceremonies regularly, particularly on important days, having discussions about the Constitution and Hong Kong’s Basic Law, strengthening national security education, and incorporating elements of Chinese history and culture in the curriculum.
As of Jan 1 this year, all primary and secondary schools must conduct national flag-raising ceremonies on significant occasions, such as the HKSAR’s establishment anniversary on July 1 and National Day on Oct 1.
Choi said all these efforts have paid off, with even children in kindergartens and primary schools now rising to sing the national anthem while it’s being broadcast on television.
Christine Choi Yuk-lin, secretary for education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, gives China Daily an exclusive interview in Admiralty on Dec 1, 2022. (FLORENCE LI / CHINA DAILY)
“These rituals are necessary and have to be further promoted in schools,” she said. "As a result, students can better understand Hong Kong’s close bonds with the motherland from a historical perspective. These ceremonies also remind our young people of the symbolic significance of the country’s five-star red flag and the national anthem, as well as the hardships the Chinese nation had gone through.”
“We’ve spent years doubling down on our efforts to cultivate students’ affection for the country, and we’ve seen obvious improvements with students having acquired a better understanding of the nation,” said Choi. “But, we won’t stop here.”
Another key approach to be taken is to set new guidelines on the professional conduct of teachers.
These guidelines will be revealed by the Education Bureau by the end of this year. Many teachers had been involved in the 2019 social unrest by encouraging students to join the street protests that brought Hong Kong to a virtual halt at some point. The initial draft of the guidelines has been completed. A “red line” that teachers should not cross will be drawn, and various activities they should not be engaged in will be listed.
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Teachers would be prohibited from instilling misleading or incorrect concepts among students. They would also be required to abide by the laws, keep campuses safe, and provide a healthy and harmonious learning environment for students, said Choi
Teachers would be prohibited from instilling misleading or incorrect concepts among students. They would also be required to abide by the laws, keep campuses safe, and provide a healthy and harmonious learning environment for students, said Choi.
Teachers found to have violated the guidelines would be penalized — ranging from being given a warning or reprimanded to being stripped of their professional teaching registration, depending on the seriousness of the case.
Starting from the current school year, newly appointed regular teachers in all public-sector schools are required to pass the Basic Law Test, which covers the city’s Basic Law and the National Security Law for Hong Kong. The test will be extended to all directly subsidized schools and kindergartens next year.
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In addition, teachers are requested to undergo training, participate in seminars and take courses on national security, Choi said.
New teachers in public-sector schools, or schools under the direct subsidy scheme also need to complete 30 hours of core training within three years, while teachers aspiring for promotion must complete 30 hours of core training within five years before they can be promoted. In-service teachers are required to receive 150 hours of training in three years to get a better understanding of the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law for Hong Kong.
For kindergarten pupils, the SAR government has allocated a grant of HK$60 million ($7.7 million) for those joining the Kindergarten Education Scheme to organize Chinese cultural activities from the next school year, and help them acquire a sense of national identity at an early age.
Choi noted that many kindergartens had previously held similar activities for kids, such as eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, wearing traditional Chinese costumes, or celebrating the Spring Festival together. The grant will provide more resources for kindergartens to expand their activities to get better results.
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According to Choi, all publicly funded schools must organize one or more activities relating to national education for parents annually. The Education Bureau will keep track of the number of events organized by schools and observe their effectiveness from next year.