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Education in Hong Kong
Opinion
SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

New curriculum guide will bolster national identity in Hong Kong

Along with flag-raising and other activities, the revised framework will support young Hongkongers in cultivating a deeper sense of belonging to the nation

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Students of Tai Po Old Market Public School hold a flag-raising ceremony on the first day of school on September 1, 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
Hong Kong authorities are doubling down on safeguards and guidance on fronts ranging from state security to national education, and understandably so. The revised school curriculum guide seeking to make children as young as six “feel proud to be Chinese” and gain a basic understanding of national affairs might be perceived as another aggressive step in this regard, but it is part of a broader drive to close the gaps stemming from inadequacies over the decades.

Compared with the 2021 version, the 2026 Values Education Curriculum Framework places a stronger emphasis on “national identity”. Other values to be promoted are perseverance, respect for others, responsibility, commitment, integrity, benevolence, law-abidingness, empathy, diligence, filial piety and unity. The document serves as guidance for all government, aided, special and private schools to plan and implement values education at different levels.

Under the framework, Primary One to Three pupils should “gain a basic understanding of national affairs” and “feel proud to be Chinese”. Those in Primary Four to Six are expected to understand the importance of national unity and ethnic solidarity, and should learn to safeguard national security.

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