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National education in Hong Kong
Hong KongEducation

Hong Kong teachers will draw on protests, court cases to highlight need for lawfulness in course replacing liberal studies

  • Teachers say they will use examples from 2019 unrest, national security trial to show students why violence is wrong
  • But some worry students will not take new subject seriously as they will get only a pass or fail grade

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A classroom in HKTA Ching Chung Secondary School. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Chan Ho-him
Hong Kong schools have begun teaching “citizenship and social development” in place of the controversial liberal studies subject, with some teachers saying they will draw on the 2019 anti-government protests during lessons.
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Education authorities said earlier that current affairs should be avoided, but teachers told the Post the social unrest and the city’s first national security court case presented good examples of the need to follow the law.

The new subject is being taught to senior secondary students in Form Four from this month, the start of the new school year.

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Teachers expressed concern, however, that students might not pay as much attention as they did to the old liberal studies curriculum.

They pointed out that aside from the new name and overhauled course content, the new subject will figure less in the university entrance examination, as students will receive only a pass or fail grade. Only half as many teaching hours will be spent on the new course compared with liberal studies.

The Education Bureau unveiled the sweeping changes earlier this year after some pro-Beijing heavyweights blamed liberal studies for radicalising young people during the 2019 protests and argued that some teaching materials were biased.

Liberal studies was introduced at the upper secondary level in 2009 and was meant to develop students’ social awareness and critical thinking skills.

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