The new academic year marks something of a revolution in Hong Kong education. For the first time, Hong Kong history will be a compulsory part of the high school history curriculum, a move which, no doubt, will enhance students' appreciation of their cultural heritage and arouse an interest in current affairs by providing a historical perspective. Yet it is not without problems.
The move is part of a more extensive reform to the history syllabus of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. The new curriculum also cuts out much of the section on 19th century Europe, extends the coverage of Chinese history to the present day and includes a new module on decolonisation in Southeast Asia.
The major direction of reform, then, is to shift the focus from Europe back to Asia. This is a commendable move, for it is surely important for students to be familiar with the recent history of China and our Asian neighbours.
It is also crucial for them to be acquainted with the local institutions, events and historical figures that have contributed to the transformation of Hong Kong. Out of sheer curiosity, I picked up one of the textbooks designed for the new curriculum, and flipped through its section on Hong Kong. The mere fact that the writer manages to compress the city's development from 1842 to the present into 90-odd pages is already impressive.