A softer approach to national education is step in right direction
- For Hong Kong, as elsewhere, focusing on inspiration rather than imposition is the way forward to instil patriotism
National education has not always been at the forefront of policymaking in Hong Kong. But in recent years, the government has been making up for lost time.
There has been a campaign to foster a sense of national identity following civil unrest in 2019 and Beijing’s passing of a national security law for the city in 2020.
National education has been added to the school curriculum, with new subjects focusing on China’s history, culture, security and achievements. The code of conduct for teachers was revised.
Civil servants receive training aimed at strengthening their patriotism and exchange programmes give them a better understanding of developments on the mainland.
Some might, therefore, have wondered what still needed to be done when a new high-level working group on patriotic education was established last year.
The group, chaired by Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, features 12 officials and 13 members from outside the government. It will spearhead moves to foster a sense of national identity, after Beijing’s passing of a patriotic education law last year.
Chan, speaking recently after its first meeting, said the group’s mandate was to make patriotism with affection for the country, including Hong Kong, a mainstream core value.
Clearly, there is still work to be done. It is encouraging, however, that the chief secretary said there were no plans for a patriotism law in Hong Kong and struck a moderate tone, advocating a sensitive approach to promoting love of the country. He is right to say that a “hard-sell” will not work. Nor will rote-learning.
Such methods are likely to backfire as you cannot force people to feel pride or love.
Instead, Chan pointed to a more subtle strategy involving cultural activities, sports events and exchanges. This is a sensible way forward and one widely adopted elsewhere in the world.
As he said, the first step is simply to improve understanding of the country. The nurturing of an emotional connection should follow.
As with any form of education, there also will be a need for independent thinking. Chan’s openness to well-intentioned and constructive criticism of the government is, therefore, welcome.
The softer tone, after several years of dramatic changes, is, perhaps, further evidence of a shift in the government’s priorities following the passing of domestic national security laws in March. The aim is to switch the focus to improving the economy.
Every country pursues national education. But it must be handled with care. Changes in schools are one of the reasons why parents and teachers joined an exodus from the city in recent years.
Thankfully, that trend has eased. The working group’s softer approach, focusing on inspiration rather than imposition, bodes well for the future.
