Chinese history could become mandatory for senior secondary school pupils in Hong Kong, but not examined, education body chief suggests
- Education expert says parents, not government, should pay for mandatory trips to mainland as part of new citizenship and social development course
- But Education Convergence chairman Ho Hon-kuen says government funding would still be available for families that could not afford trips
Chinese history could be made a compulsory subject for Hong Kong senior secondary pupils but no assessment should be required, the head of a major education sector body has suggested.
Ho Hon-kuen, the chairman of Education Convergence, a teachers’ organisation, also recommended that parents pay for their children’s mandatory visit to mainland China instead of the government funding the trips, which are part of the new citizenship and social development syllabus.
“Nowadays, only about 10 per cent of senior secondary school students are studying Chinese history,” Ho said in a television interview on Sunday.
“This has a negative effect on systematic learning, understanding Chinese culture and the national situation through our history, and even national security.”
Ho, a former school principal, said the schools could use the same approach used in physical education classes, where examination was not required as pupils already studied four core subjects.