HK educators voice support for optimizing educational system

Educators in Hong Kong on Saturday called for an improved education system with revised school curriculums to help young people in the city thrive and gain a better understanding of "one country, two systems".

The remarks came at the 2nd Belt and Road Greater Bay Area Education Summit Forum co-organized by the Happy Life Education Foundation and Han Academy. More than 100 representatives of Hong Kong and Chinese mainland schools and educational institutions attended the event online and offline.

Addressing the forum, Xu Li, founding supervisor of Han Academy, said Hong Kong had entered a new era, referring to the implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong and the revamped electoral system. She said the city's education sector also needs an overhaul to provide quality education to young people and ensure they will become productive members of society.

Xu said it's necessary to optimize curriculums and content taught at school to make sure teachers and students have a thorough understanding of the nation, including the history of the Communist Party of China, the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China.

In addition, students should have more opportunities to get some first-hand experience in the Chinese mainland, including communicating with mainland peers and visiting some history museums there, Xu added.

She also revealed in the new academic year that students at Han Academy, an international school set up in Hong Kong in 2017, will learn CPC history.

One of the school's 15-year-old secondary students, surnamed Liu, who attended the forum, said lessons related to CPC history can help her know more about the motherland.

Speaking at the forum, Kwok Yat-ming, president of Central China Normal University's Hong Kong alumni association, said the city's education sector should uphold the "truth-seeking" principle to provide students opportunities to systematically learn about the history of the nation and the CPC.

Young Chien-ming, vice-chairman of the Han Academy School Board, and director emeritus of the School of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Hong Kong, in his speech highlighted the important role of higher education institutions in cultivating talents.

Noting talents are crucial for the future development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Young said Hong Kong could leverage its advantages in education and complement other cities in the Bay Area.