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LCQ8: Teaching Chinese history and Moral and National Education in secondary schools
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     Following is a question by the Dr Hon Lam Tai-fai and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, in the Legislative Council today (November 12):

Question:

     On September 8, 2012, the Chief Executive announced changes to the policy on implementing the Moral and National Education (MNE) subject in secondary schools. Under the new policy, school sponsoring bodies may decide on their own whether the MNE subject should be taught and whether it should be taught as an independent subject in the curriculum of the secondary schools under their sponsorship. In view of the latest political situation in recent days, quite a number of members of the education sector have pointed out that young people in Hong Kong have inadequate understanding of our country and its situation, and they have therefore requested that the MNE subject be implemented again and the Chinese History subject be made compulsory in the secondary school curriculum. However, in reply to my question on the 29th of last month, the Secretary for Education did not directly respond to whether he would revoke the decision on shelving the implementation of the MNE subject and said that students could learn Chinese history through the subjects of Chinese Language, Liberal Studies and Geography. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will consider afresh requiring various secondary schools to teach Chinese History as an independent subject in the curriculum of the junior secondary level; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it will make the Chinese History subject compulsory in the curricula of the junior and senior secondary levels; if it will, of the respective details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of secondary schools which currently teach Chinese History as a compulsory subject in the curriculum of the junior secondary level; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of secondary schools which currently teach Chinese History as a compulsory subject in the curriculum of the senior secondary level; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(5) whether it has gauged the effectiveness of students learning Chinese history through the subjects of Chinese Language, Liberal Studies and Geography; if it has, of the details and effectiveness; if not, the reasons for that;

(6) whether it knows the respective candidates who applied to sit for the examinations of the Chinese History subject in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination and the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination in each year since 1997;

(7) whether it knows the number of local secondary school students admitted by each local university as undergraduates majoring in Chinese History and the total number of undergraduates majoring in Chinese History, in each year since 1997;

(8) given that following the decision of the Education Bureau in 2000 not to make the Chinese History subject compulsory, there has been a general downward trend in the number of students sitting for the examinations of the Chinese History subject in public examinations, whether it has reviewed if the decision made in that year was wrong; if it has conducted such a review, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(9) whether the authorities will revoke within the current term of the Government the decision to shelve the implementation of the MNE subject; if they will, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(10) whether it has regularly and comprehensively reviewed the feasibility of revoking the decision to shelve the implementation of the MNE subject; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(11) whether it knows the numbers of primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong which are currently implementing the MNE subject and the relevant details (including the mode of teaching, teaching hours and qualifications of the teachers concerned); and

(12) whether it has provided guidance or support for the primary and secondary schools which are implementing the MNE subject and monitored the effectiveness of teaching and learning of the subject; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The political situation in recent days was brought by various factors, and it is observed that the participants come from different age groups, social strata, and with diverse backgrounds. Thus, what happens now cannot be attributed simplistically to the youngsters' inadequate understanding of our country and its situation. Since the "Curriculum Guide of the Moral and National Education subject" was shelved in early October 2012, we understand that, under the guidance of the school sponsoring bodies and curriculum leaders, schools, as in the past, continue implementing moral, civic and national education in various degrees and formats, making references to previous curriculum guides and support materials. This policy will be continued. With regard to the question about Chinese history education, in the meeting on October 29, I have stated that "Chinese History is not the only subject to help students understand the situation of our country, Chinese Language, Chinese geography, and Liberal Studies, etc., also comprise relevant knowledge, and students can also learn through various modes of learning. So there is not only one subject." The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to national education, but opines that it can be promoted through various forms and methods, so it should not depend only on the Chinese History subject. Similarly, the EDB attaches great importance to Chinese history education, which was stipulated as compulsory in junior secondary level in 2001, but opines that besides teaching Chinese history via an independent subject mode which is focusing on the rise and decline of dynastic regimes chronologically, schools should also be given flexibility to choose the most suitable and effective mode of curriculum organisation.

     With regard to the twelve questions raised by Dr Hon Lam Tai-fai, the replies are as follows:

(1) Building on the Chinese history contents embedded in General Studies for Primary Schools, nearly 90% of secondary schools currently offer Chinese History as an independent subject at the junior secondary level. For the remaining schools, in order to further improve and develop Chinese history education, they adopt different curriculum modes other than the dynastic chronological approach to organise the contents of Chinese history in accordance with their schools' overall curriculum planning, the different learning needs of their students and the expertise of their teachers. For example, some adopt "the curriculum mode of linking two Histories", in which the development of Chinese history served as the backbone, making cross references to relevant topics in world history; some adopt an "integrated curriculum mode", which organises the contents of Chinese history with reference to various themes and topics. The EDB does not subscribe to the view that all schools in Hong Kong can only adopt the independent subject mode, which is focusing on the rise and decline of dynastic regimes to teach Chinese history.

(2), (3) and (4) At junior secondary level, Chinese history is taught in all secondary schools in Hong Kong, though schools may adopt different curriculum modes. In the curriculum guide "Learning to learn: The Way Forward in Curriculum Development" promulgated by the Curriculum Development Council in 2001, it is already stated that Chinese history and culture is the essential learning content at junior secondary level, and all junior secondary students must learn Chinese history. No matter what curriculum mode is adopted by schools to teach Chinese history, all schools must offer on average about 2 periods per week to teach its contents.

     In the 2014/15 school year (Note 1), 392 secondary schools representing 88.29% of all the secondary schools (Note 2) offer Chinese History as an independent subject (curriculum contents adopting the dynastic chronological approach, so as to help students understand the rise and decline of major dynastic regimes in history) in junior secondary level. This includes:

(i) 350 secondary schools teaching Chinese History as an independent subject throughout the junior secondary level (i.e. Secondary One to Three), representing 78.83% of all the secondary schools, and

(ii) 42 secondary schools teaching Chinese History as an independent subject in any 1 or 2 years of the junior secondary level, representing 9.46% of all the secondary schools, e.g.

*schools that offer Chinese History in S3 as an independent subject, but link world history with Chinese history in S1 to S2;

*schools, for improving teaching effectiveness, that offer Chinese History in either S1 or S2 with double lesson time to meet the minimum lesson time requirement set by the EDB.

     In this school year, 52 schools adopt other curriculum modes to offer Chinese history in junior secondary level, amounting to 11.71% of all secondary schools. Among them,

(i) 18 schools (4.05%) offer Chinese history and Culture (linking world history with Chinese history) throughout S1 to S3. The development of Chinese history served as the backbone, making cross references to world history; and

(ii) 34 schools (7.66%) offer Integrated Humanities throughout S1 to S3. They adopt a topical approach to organise the contents of Chinese history and culture.

     As for the senior secondary level, Chinese History has always been an independent elective subject before and after the reunification with the Mainland. It remains unchanged after the implementation of the New Senior Secondary curriculum. According to the information collected in the 2013/14 school year, the majority of Hong Kong secondary schools (about 90%) offer Chinese History at senior secondary level.

(5) At present, students acquire knowledge of Chinese history, culture, and its current situation mainly through subjects such as Chinese Language, Chinese History, Chinese Literature, Geography, Liberal Studies, Life and Society, as well as Art and Physical Education, and also via moral, civic and national education as well as life-wide learning activities, etc. For example, the study of Chinese Language nurtures students' understanding of the Chinese culture; the study of Geography helps students understand Chinaˇ¦s agricultural, manufacturing and urban developments, and the problems faced; students can also study relevant issues about "Modern China" through the study of senior secondary Liberal Studies. For the details on the elements of Chinese history, culture, and current situation embedded in the primary and secondary curriculum, the teaching resources and the figures of teacher professional development provided by the EDB, please refer to Annex 1.

     There is not much research concerning the effectiveness of students learning in this area. In 2009, Hong Kong participated in the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Among the 38 countries/places surveyed, the 15-year-old Hong Kong students ranked fifth in knowledge on civic education and citizenship. In terms of national identity, Hong Kong students possess multiple identities (Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese, Hong Kong people, global citizens), which reflect the role of Hong Kong as a part of our nation and also as a metropolitan city in the world. The survey also revealed that Hong Kong students are proud of both Hong Kong and the nation. They are proud of both national and Hong Kong's icons such as the Great Wall, the national flag, the HKSAR flag, etc. In 2011, the EDB commissioned the Chinese University of Hong Kong to carry out a survey on "the Study on School Curriculum Reform". Over 90% of the surveyed primary six students agreed that "I identify with my national identity, and I care about Hong Kong and the nation."

(6) and (8) As mentioned before, Chinese history is at present taught systematically in all secondary schools in Hong Kong at junior secondary level, though schools may adopt different curriculum modes. In fact, before the reunification with the mainland, Chinese History at junior secondary level was only an elective subject among the humanities subject group in "grammar schools" and "technical schools", while it was not offered in the "prevocational schools". (Please refer to Annex 2 for the relevant document). After the reunification, the EDB attaches great importance to Chinese history education. In the curriculum document "Learning to Learn: The Way Forward in Curriculum Development" promulgated by the Curriculum Development Council in 2001, it states that: "Students in all types of junior secondary schools will study Chinese history and culture."

     As for the decline in the numbers of students taking Chinese History in public examinations, on the one hand, it is because the whole student population keeps decreasing in recent years; and on the other hand, it is also because in the new senior secondary academic structure, students usually take 2 to 3 electives only. As a result, the number of students enrolled for each elective subject drop, including those enrolled for Chinese History. In my written reply to the question raised by Hon Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee dated October 29, 2014, in order to enhance students' interest in learning Chinese history so that more students will choose Chinese History as their elective subject at senior secondary level, the Curriculum Development Council has set up an ad hoc Committee in May this year to review the junior secondary curricula of Chinese History and History. Moreover, the EDB is collaborating with different stakeholders to organise more teacher training programmes to enliven the learning and teaching strategies in the Chinese History classrooms, and to provide more teaching resources to improve the learning and teaching of Chinese history. These aim to enhance students' knowledge and interest in Chinese history, so as to encourage more to choose Chinese History subject at the senior secondary level.

     The number of candidates who applied to sit for the examinations of Chinese History subject in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) and the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) in each year since 1997 are listed below (information provided by Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority):

Year      HKCEE      HKALE      HKDSE
----      -----      -----      -----
1997     37 684      4 153
1998     38 500      4 352      
1999     40 234      4 540      
2000     40 254      4 581      
2001     35 981      4 745      
2002     35 337      4 965      
2003     33 283      4 880      
2004     31 416      5 056      
2005     30 533      4 765      
2006     27 865      4 808      
2007     27 121      5 071      
2008     28 045      5 040      
2009     29 296      5 026      
2010     29 915      5 068      
2011      1 105      5 242      
         (Note 3)              
                             
2012                 5 058       8 596
2013                   177       8 167
                    (Note 4)   
                                
2014                             7 459

(7) Many History Departments in local universities offer degree programmes in History, which cover various research areas including Hong Kong history, Chinese history and world history etc. Since no undergraduate programme is exclusively allocated for students majoring in Chinese history, the EDB is not able to provide data concerning the number of students majoring in Chinese history. For the University of Hong Kong, other than the History Department in the Faculty of Arts, the School of Chinese also offers Chinese history and culture courses for the three/four year Bachelor Degree Programme. However, the School also has no data on the number of undergraduates majoring solely in Chinese history.

(9) and (10) Although the Government has shelved the Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide, the element of moral, civic and national education in the Moral and National Education (MNE) subject is not a complete novelty. Since the Curriculum Reform introduced in 2001, moral and civic education (including national education) has been made one of the four key tasks in the school curriculum. Based on the "Revised Moral and Civic Education Curriculum Framework" introduced in 2008, primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong systematically nurture students' positive values and attitudes in diversified school-based approaches, according to the school contexts and the needs of curriculum development, through various Key Learning Areas (KLAs)/subjects (for example, Chinese Language, Physical Education, General Studies, Life and Society, Liberal Studies, Chinese History, History, etc.), so as to achieve the curriculum aim. The importance of moral, civic and national education in school curriculum has not been varied though the "Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide" was shelved in 2012.

     Moral, civic and national education is an important facet of school education, and should include knowledge about one's country, understanding of one's national identity and awareness of such core values as inclusiveness and diversity in the wider society. Therefore, it is natural that students have moral, civic and national education in schools. The EDB encourages, as in the past, school sponsoring bodies (SSBs) and schools to design learning experiences/activities (for example, school assembly, period for personal growth education, class teacher period, project learning, service learning, visit, etc.) for values education (including moral, civic and national education) based on schools' mission, philosophy of education and the needs of curriculum development, to promote whole person development of students. In conclusion, school has made use of the related curriculum framework to promote moral, civic and national education through a school-based approach. In view of the professional discretion already given to schools, we deem that it is not necessary to review the implementation of the MNE subject.

(11) Under the school-based policy and its regulations, the EDB respects schools' professional decisions on the choice of teaching guides and related learning and teaching resources to be adopted with reference to their schools' mission, aims of education, school contexts and students' needs, by adopting a school-based and student-centred approach when providing students with worthwhile learning experiences to develop desirable moral and civic qualities. On April 30, 2012, the Secretary for Education accepted the recommendations by the Curriculum Development Council on the refined Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide for primary and secondary schools. In consideration of publicˇ¦s views, the "Moral and National Education Curriculum Guide" was shelved alongside the abolition of the initiation period in early October 2012. Schools and school sponsoring bodies are given the latitude to decide whether to implement the MNE curriculum and if so, how. In view of the discretion given to SSBs and schools, the Government has not conducted and will not conduct any data collection exercise that aims specifically to gauge the number of schools and SSBs that have decided to implement the MNE initiative and the related information such as mode of implementation, length of class and teacher qualification.

     As a matter of fact, schools and SSBs have made their own professional judegement to determine the pace and ways for values education (including moral, civic and national education). According to the curriculum implementation study in 2011 (Note 5), all the interviewed schools adopted different modes of implementation to promote moral, civic and national education. Around 41% of schools scheduled the periods for moral and civic education at their junior secondary levels, around 31% of schools scheduled the related periods at their senior secondary levels; around 82% of schools at their junior secondary levels scheduled the periods for religious education/ life education/ personal growth education/life and society, 63% of schools scheduled the related periods at their senior secondary levels. Besides, the importance of nurturing students' values and attitudes is highlighted by the Other Learning Experiences in senior secondary education which include moral and civic education as well as community services. The "Basic Education Curriculum Guide (P.1 ˇV P.6)" has been updated in 2014. The updated Guide continues to strengthen and deepen the implementation of moral, civic and national education in different KLAs and subjects of both primary and secondary schools, to match with the curriculum development of primary school education and to tie in with the secondary school curriculum. It also reinforces the learning goal of "understanding our national identity, to care for our community, our nation and our world, and become a responsible citizen."

(12) All along, schools have been adopting a school-based and student-centred approach when providing students with worthwhile learning experiences to develop desirable moral and civic qualities. In addition, schools are using their professional judgement choose teaching guides and related learning and teaching resources with reference to their own mission, aims of education, school contexts and students' needs.

     The EDB has continued to keep abreast of schools' development in different domains and the effectiveness of learning through a wide range of channels, such as seminars and focus group interviews. The EDB will keep in contact with SSBs and schools, listen actively to their opinions and suggestions, and respect their professional discretion in deciding whether and how they are to implement the MNE subject. The EDB respects schools' professional autonomy and, as an established practice, will continue to provide professional development programmes and school-based professional support when such needs arise.

Note 1: In October every year, all schools are required to submit to the EDB information on the subjects offered at each year of secondary education. The information submitted by the EDB this time is the latest data of the 2014/15 school year. Although there are slight differences from what was submitted on October 29 when replying to the enquiry from Hon Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, the statistics has in general remained steady for years.

Note 2: In the 2014/15 school year, there were 444 secondary schools (including Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools, but not including special schools, private independent schools, private independent schools [non-local curriculum], private schools, international schools, senior secondary schools ) offering mainstream school curriculum.

Note 3: The last HKCEE took place in 2011; the application was limited to private candidates.

Note 4: The last HKALE took place in 2013; the application was limited to private candidates.

Note 5: Based on the data of New Senior Secondary Curriculum Implementation Study (2011) collected by the EDB.

Ends/Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:45

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