How Liberal can Teachers be in Revamped Liberal Studies

Yeung lets teachers decide whether to discuss sensitive topics

 

The Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung is still vague about what teachers can teach pupils in the revamped liberal studies class now called "Citizenship and Social Development". He said teachers could use their professional judgment to decide whether or not to bring up certain topics in the classroom.

The revamped subject will have three modules instead of six, and will focus more on China's development, the constitution, the Basic Law, and the Rule of Law. All teaching materials, as expected, will be vetted by the government.

Yeung vague about teaching Tiananamen massacre

When asked whether teachers should worry about potentially breaching the national security law when they teach the new curriculum, Yeung said people generally don't have to worry about breaking the national security law if they love the country.

So loving the country gives you immunity from the national security law?

He also wasn't clear when it came to the question of whether teachers could still teach topics like the Tiananmen Square massacre and the Cultural Revolution.

"I think in the schools' teaching and learning, teachers have to follow the curriculum framework, and also achieve the objectives of the curriculum. But within that framework I think there is still flexibility for the teachers to exercise their professional judgement to amend some of the materials to cater for the different needs of the students."

How flexible, Mr Yeung? Can you spell out what that really means?

New curriculum focuses on national security

"In terms of any particular subject or issues whether they could discuss or not, I think that involves the professional judgment of the teacher," he continued. "As long as it is within the curriculum framework and also it could meet the curriculum objectives and it's suitable for the age group of the students, I think it should be okay."

It's still not clear, but Yeung seems to be throwing it back at the teachers to figure out where the red lines are. As head of the education bureau he's hardly making teachers' jobs any easier, but more politically tense. This added pressure is hardly necessary.

In any event it's the students who lose out on general knowledge they need to know about their motherland, warts and all.