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Education in Hong Kong
OpinionComment
Kerry Kennedy
Kerry Kennedy

Opinion | Patriotic education for Hong Kong must be curated with care

  • Patriotic education is not a new idea. Countries including the US and the UK offer some form of it to build support for the nation
  • For Hong Kong, it is important to identify patriotic knowledge, skills and values before disseminating them to students and non-students alike

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A footbridge is adorned with the Chinese national and Hong Kong flags for the celebration of National Day in October. Photo: Reuters
Kerry Kennedy
Patriotic education has been on the agenda for a while. With the passing of the Patriotic Education Law of the People’s Republic of China by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, it is also now on a broader social and political agenda – it is for all citizens, not just students.
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Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, for example, has indicated that the city will embrace the spirit of this new law. This emphasis on the Hong Kong context needs to be considered from an educational perspective. The basic ideas that make up patriotic education need to be identified and then, most importantly, properly sequenced across the age spectrum for Hong Kong students and the whole community.

Patriotic education is not a new idea in China or elsewhere. All nations seek to develop young people and citizens who love their country and will support it. It may be called civics in the United States, citizenship education in the United Kingdom, or civics and citizenship education in Australia, but the purpose is the same: to develop understanding, skills and national values.

Patriotism is not nationalism, where your country is seen to be better than other countries. Patriotic education is a process focused on building and developing support for the nation and its achievements.

The Education Bureau has refocused on what might be called the social studies curriculum from primary school to senior secondary school. New or revised subjects at every level – humanities for primary school, citizenship, economics and society for junior secondary school, and citizenship and social development for senior secondary school – have been or are being put in place.
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All feature patriotic education. In addition to these formal curriculum components, there are experiential components such as flag-raising ceremonies and visits to the mainland. These new arrangements have more than made up for any inadequacy of the previous curriculum.
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