Hong Kong’s education system ‘not forward-looking enough’ for the modern world, says former leader Tung Chee-hwa
City’s first ever chief executive says youngsters need to better understand the mainland, and the economic opportunity it holds
Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa has said Hong Kong’s education system is not “forward-looking enough” to equip young people for a “rapidly changing world and a rapidly developing China”.
Speaking at the Post’s Celebrating Hong Kong’s Coming of Age conference on Monday, Tung – chief executive from 1997 to 2005 – said that aside from the city’s housing shortage, education was another of its key challenges.
“In a world where technology develops very quickly and deeply, influencing all aspects of our lives, we need to teach our next generation the basic knowledge in computing science, physics… or whatever career they want to pursue in life,” he said. “So far our provision has not been adequate.”
Tung, a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body, also said Hong Kong “needs to have a sense of urgency in awakening our next generation to the enormous market right here at our doorstep”.
“Our young people need to understand more deeply about Chinese culture as well as Chinese history, particularly what has happened over the last 150 years and the efforts of creating a new nation,” he said.
“Unfortunately, our education policy has not been forward-looking enough. We have to recognise that expenditure in education is an investment for our future.”