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The following is issued on behalf of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject:
The Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject issued the following statement after its meeting today (October 8):
First and foremost, it is the unanimous view of the Committee on the Initiation of Moral and National Education Subject that moral, national and civic education is an important facet of school education, and that whole-person development 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 only natural that students be taught moral, national and civic education.
The Committee supports the significant policy change on Moral and National Education (MNE) that the Government announced on September 8, viz that there is neither any obligation for MNE to be a standalone subject, nor is there any imposed timeline on the introduction of the MNE subject. The announcement also proposed the removal of the part relating to contemporary developments of the country in the MNE Curriculum Guide as well as a review and revision of the Curriculum Guide. The above policy change allows school sponsoring bodies (SSBs) and schools to decide, on their own, whether, how and when to introduce the MNE subject, and this accords with the principle of professional autonomy. Therefore, the Committee is of the view that it is not necessary to "withdraw the subject".
The Committee notes that there are still views in the community that the Government should withdraw the MNE subject in its entirety and withdraw or shelve the existing Curriculum Guide. Having discussed this issue at its meetings on September 27 and this morning, the Committee has made the recommendations below and hopes that they will be accepted by the Government and supported by the community.
Under the principle of professional autonomy by SSBs and schools, the Committee is of the view that the Government should not regulate whether and how such schools introduce and implement the subject. Similarly, it is neither right nor necessary for the Government and the community to forbid or obstruct SSBs and schools from introducing the subject. Therefore, the Committee does not support withdrawal of the MNE subject.
The controversial part of the Curriculum Guide issued in April this year has already been taken out. Under the principle of professional autonomy by SSBs and schools, there is no obligation for MNE to be offered as a standalone subject, nor is there any set time frame for the introduction of the MNE subject. In other words, the said Curriculum Guide is no longer able to provide the steer expected of an official document. Notwithstanding this, to forestall the continued debate in the community on the Curriculum Guide, the Committee recommends the formal shelving of the said Curriculum Guide. Hence, the Government should not request schools to adopt the Curriculum Guide and the Education Bureau should not use the Guide as the basis for school inspection.
The Committee recommends that the Education Bureau make a public statement on the shelving of the Curriculum Guide. Once the Curriculum Guide is shelved, the Committee will not, nor will it be necessary for the Committee to, further review or propose changes to the Curriculum Guide.
If SSBs and schools autonomously decide to introduce the MNE subject, the Government and the community should respect and have confidence in them. Schools may freely adopt any teaching guides and relevant teaching resources that their professional judgement deems appropriate. Hence, the Government should not prescribe any rules on how this should be done, nor should the Government provide any mandatory or official curriculum guide in respect of the MNE subject.
The Committee is of the view that the debate over national education is not only divisive and confrontational but has also impacted negatively on school operation as well as learning and teaching. This is not something that the education sector, parents and the community wish to see. The Committee hopes that, through rational discussions, consensus can be built and the controversy can come to an end. It also hopes that with the conclusion of the controversy, mutual trust in the community can be rebuilt so that SSBs and schools will be able to take autonomous professional pedagogical decisions in a calm environment with a view to nurturing students' whole-person development.
Note: Two Committee members have abstained in respect of the decision to shelve the MNE Curriculum Guide (re paragraph 5 above).
Ends/Monday, October 8, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:44
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