National security content added to 8 school subjects

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Education Bureau moved on Thursday to introduce national security education-related content in eight more subjects at primary and secondary schools as part of the special administrative region's drive to enhance young people's sense of national identity.

The eight subjects, including Chinese language, chemistry, and information and communication technology, were provided with curriculum documents on national education.

"It is the responsibility of schools to implement national security education through the school curriculum. National security education is a part of, and inseparable from, national education," the bureau said in a circular to all primary and secondary schools.

In Chinese-language classes, for example, teachers were instructed to teach about momentous historical and political events, folklore, and Chinese ethnic cultures. Schools were advised to organize tours to the Chinese mainland to help students better understand the cultural backgrounds of literary works.

When teaching information and communication technology, teachers can guide students in analyzing the credibility and authenticity of information. For chemistry, the bureau proposed that schools impress on students the importance of sustainable development, and let students learn about the country's environmental policy through field trips to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Curriculum framework documents were also issued for the subjects of technology; business accounting, and financial studies; health management and social care; physics; and biology.

They were the bureau's second batch of curriculum frameworks this year that aim to "organically integrate" national security education within the current school curriculum.

The previous documents, on Feb 4, set out a structure for general studies in primary schools, and geography and biology in secondary schools. Guidelines on national security education were also released at that time, requiring primary and secondary schools to prevent activities that might contravene the National Security Law for Hong Kong.

The bureau said it will continue to refine the curriculum manuscripts, and is expected to provide more materials on national security education.