scholarly journals Deformed citizenship: a critique of the junior secondary economic and public affairs syllabus and textbooks in Hong Kong

2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-110
Author(s):  
Thomas Kwan-Choi Tse
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Junior Secondary

Economic and Public Affairs: An Education for Citizenship in Hong Kong

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-104
Author(s):  
Pui-Kai Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Political Education ◽  
Joint Declaration ◽  
Junior Secondary ◽  
Hong Kong Students ◽  
Secondary Classes ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Integrated Study

Economic and Public Affairs (EPA) has been an integrated study of social, economic and political education for the junior secondary classes in Hong Kong since 1984, the year in which the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong was signed. The Hong Kong students could, from then onwards have an opportunity to receive an education for citizenship, in preparation for the post-Joint-Declaration era from 1984 till the end of June, 1997. The scope of content in the three-year curriculum was analysed to have covered mainly the aspect of social education, while that for economic and political education was surprisingly insufficient, if a balanced ‘education for citizenship’ was intended. A revised syllabus with a set of new and re-arranged topics in social, economic and political education was proposed, to cater for the needs of Hong Kong students from 1996 to the beginning years of the new Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It is extremely important and urgent for Hong Kong teachers to commit themselves more actively than at any other time in the Hong Kong history since 1841, to facilitate an education for citizenship in schools.

Social Ethos and the Teaching of Politics in Post-1997 Hong Kong: A Teachers' Account

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Wai Wa Yuen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
The Other ◽  
Public Examination ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Political Subject ◽  
Self Rule ◽  
The One ◽  
Social Ethos

Government and Public Affairs (GPA), a political subject with public examinations, was founded in the mid-1980s. It was part of the attempt to prepare Hong Kong people for the development of representative government, which would be needed for self-rule after reunification with China in 1997. This article reports GPA teachers' perceptions of the prevailing social ethos after the change of sovereignty. The teachers explain how they will teach politics amidst an increasingly difficult social environment, marked by conservatism and promotion of nationalistic sentiment on the one hand and by political divisions and sensitivity towards political teaching on the other. The teachers' top priority becomes that of good public examination results and, partly because of this, a highly teacher-centred mode of teaching is commonly adopted. Teachers are aware of the risk of indoctrination in political teaching. However, this is only considered a problem relating to the government's attempt to influence people's minds and the teachers never think of themselves as possible indoctrinators. Besides, many of them believe that they should share their beliefs with students. Though the teachers in general support democracy, paradoxically, excessive commitment to the belief is found in some cases to bring forth pedagogies of an authoritative nature.

The development of local private primary and secondary schooling in Hong Kong, 1841-2012

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 826-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan C.K. Cheung ◽  
E. Vance Randall ◽  
Man Kwan Tam
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Archival Documents ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
Education In Hong Kong

Purpose – This paper is a historical review of the development of private primary and secondary education in Hong Kong from 1841-2012. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolving relationship between the state and private schools in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach – This paper utilizes sources from published official documents, public data available on government websites, archival documents and newspapers. The authors also carried out a few individual interviews with legislators, government officials and principals who were familiar with the history of private education in Hong Kong. Findings – The colonial Hong Kong Government adopted laissez-faire policy in greater part of its rule until 1970s. The year 1978 marked the period of “state control” until the 1990s when privatization and deregulation emerged as a world trend in the governance of education. The role of government changed to that of “supervision” instead of “control.” Further, it is shown that the change of sovereignty did not avert the trend of decentralization, deregulation and privatization in education which is entrenched in the management of public affairs in human societies. Originality/value – The findings provides an illuminating look into the development of a society and how it grapples with the fundamental questions of the degree of social control and proper use of political power in a colonial setting.

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