Hong Kong school course promotes critical thinking on rule of law
Understanding the rule of law and being able to formulate an opinion of our own based on facts are important for our personal development and Hong Kong society at large. This is why Chong Chan-yau launched an introductory course on legal studies for secondary students in April this year.
"The rule of law is relevant to our daily lives; it is a core value upheld in Hong Kong. It is very important we uphold it and not let any political power override it," says Chong, director of EL Education, a company he set up six years ago that provides English learning courses to students and teacher training to fellow teachers.
Made an honorary fellow of University of Hong Kong in 2012, Chong is a graduate in information systems from the London School of Commerce and a household name highly recognised for his dedication to community services and advocacy for the underprivileged in the city. In the early 1990s, he joined the civil service and helped the government to draft policy papers on gambling, higher education and labour legislation review. He was executive director of Oxfam Hong Kong and remains an adviser of the organisation. He is currently president of the Hong Kong Blind Union. His passion for justice has never ceased.
"We hope that through our course, students can develop a deeper understanding of the rule of law, its origin and related fundamental concepts," says Chong.
The new course on legal studies is the first of its kind offered to secondary students in Hong Kong. It has three levels. Level One takes 12 hours to complete and covers the fundamentals such as the branches of law, basic contract, basic tort, and an introduction to criminal law. Real legal cases and judgments will be introduced. Students are given different scenarios to discuss, analyse, debate and come up with a solution based on what they have learned. The level of interactivity is high with role play and plenty of discussion time. In April, the first level was run to 20 students on a trial basis for three hours.
Unlike many student learning courses on the market, its purpose is not to prepare students for sitting examinations, but to train them to think independently and critically.
