- Only 13 per cent of pupils took the subject on the DSE exam, which is ‘far from ideal’, says chief of the Centre of National History Education (Hong Kong)
- Earlier this month, the Education Bureau said candidates could answer fewer questions on the exam in a move to boost interest
More effort is needed to encourage senior Hong Kong pupils to study Chinese history, one education centre head said. Photo: HandoutHong Kong schools have been urged to make more efforts to advocate for senior secondary students to learn Chinese history. A mere 13 per cent of the students that sit for the university entrance exams take the subject, which is “far from ideal”, as per the head of an education centre.
Ho Hon-kuen, principal of the Centre of National History Education (Hong Kong), said on Sunday that society should cooperate to show students the importance of history. The subject helped people understand why societies succeeded or failed, he added.
Data showed 5,852 Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam takers from schools, or 13.5 per cent of the total, took the Chinese history test this year, up from 12.7 per cent or 5,493 in 2023.
The Education Bureau announced in early May that students could answer fewer questions in the Chinese history exam for university admission in a move to boost interest in the subject.
The arrangement will begin with Form Five students in the next academic year.
“Studying Chinese history provides inspiration by fostering a broad perspective and drawing lessons from the past … It helps us to gain insights into contemporary China,” Ho told a radio programme.
“But 13 per cent is certainly far from being ideal. I think principals, teachers and the Education Bureau would like more [students to take the subject].”
Ho, a former school principal, argued that whether the amendment would “optimise” Chinese history depended on how principals and teachers perceived the importance of the subject, as well as societal expectations about it, which was equally crucial.
Ho said the key to preventing students from stereotyping Chinese history as “boring but difficult to get good marks in” lay with principals, frontline teachers and the bureau, which is in charge of allocating resources.
“I think the three groups should not follow the old way, not act lazy and not turn a blind eye to problems existing,” Ho said, without giving examples.
Under the change, pupils will be given the choice of sitting one DSE paper instead of the current two.
Paper 1 accounts for 70 per cent of their grade, while Paper 2 takes up the remainder. If students take only the first one, their maximum grade will be 5 instead of the full 5**.
However, lawmaker Tang Fei, a former secondary school principal, said the low percentage of students taking Chinese history did not necessarily mean a lack of interest in the subject.
“Most students start from practical considerations as this is about college entrance exams, and many university disciplines do not require Chinese history,” he said.
Tang said he had observed that interest among students in Chinese history had been on the rise as more events and exchange programmes had been held in recent years.
Tang said he expected “a little increase” might be seen in the percentage under the amendment but the real change would lie on whether there was change to the composition to the subjects required to take under the DSE.
Most local universities have a minimum requirement of studying four core subjects – Chinese language, English language, mathematics and citizenship and social development – with two to three electives.
“If more university majors ask for three elective subjects, I think more will take Chinese history, especially with that amendment,” Tang said.