The Politics of Education Reform in China's Hong Kong

by Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo, Chung Fun Steven Hung

Overview

Education reform has become a highly political issue in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) since the transfer of sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Lo and Hung focus on the political struggles among stakeholders, including the government of Hong Kong, the Catholic Church, parents, students, teachers, the central authorities of Beijing, and even the bureaucratic politics between Beijing, the Hong Kong government and the Examination Authority. They examine the key elements of education reform in the HKSAR, including language and curriculum reform, national security education, civic and patriotic education, the rise of the pro-Beijing education elites and interest groups, and the revamp of examination questions and examination authority. The entire education reform in the HKSAR has pushed the Hong Kong education system toward a process of mainlandization, making Hong Kong’s education system more similar to the mainland system with emphasis on political "correctness" in the understanding of Chinese national security, history and culture.

Highlighting the political struggles among the various stakeholders, this book is essential for scholars of Hong Kong and China, especially those with an interest in the relationship between education and politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367706241
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/01/2022
Series:	Routledge Contemporary China Series
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo is Professor of Politics at HKU SPACE.

Steven Chung-fun Hung is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the Education University of Hong Kong.

Table of Contents

1. Toward an Analytical Framework of Studying the Political Context and Content of Education Reform 2. Education Reform in Hong Kong from British Rule to the Post-1997 Period 3. Law on Education Reform 4. A Hong Kong-Style of Cultural Revolution in the Education Sector 5. Adaptation to the Mainlandization, Decolonization, Legalization and Migration 6. Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"This book documents the education transformation that ends the city’s colonial heritage and creates "China’s Hong Kong." The city’s recent political and social upheaval has come and gone, but clearly repercussions within the city are ongoing. The education reform process is characterised throughout as the process of ‘mainlandization.’ The previous protest movement, driven by anti-China sentiment and localist identification, has now ironically resulted in an education reform process reflecting China’s political system and values."—-Kerry J Kennedy, Professor Emeritus, The Education University of Hong Kong.

From the Publisher