Hong Kong pupils ‘can get full marks’ for national security law questions in revamped liberal studies exam under new marking scheme
- Marking guidelines for the revamped subject say candidates can get full marks if their answers mention positive impact of law on city and cite government data in support
- One teacher says marking scheme comes as ‘no surprise’, and the question and curriculum leave ‘no room for the students to think critically’
Candidates of the university entrance exams in Hong Kong can score full marks for questions on national security by citing government statements supplied as reference materials under a liberal studies revamp.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority on Thursday released the new marking guidelines for the subject, now renamed “citizenship and social development”.
The change in format emerged after the subject came under scrutiny earlier this year, with pro-establishment figures blaming the syllabus for radicalising youth. A veteran teacher, however, on Friday said the changes, although expected, left little room for critical thinking.
Under the new system, questions in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam paper will allow students to point out the limitations of using school education to promote national identity among youth.
However, the guidelines did not mention how candidates would be graded if they challenged national security education in their answers.
