Hong Kong will continue implementing “patriotic education” in schools, with national security now an integral part of the curriculum, Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee has said.
Lee also said in a pre-recorded address posted to his social media accounts that the government had received some 6,900 public submissions throughout the consultation period for his upcoming Policy Address, marking a 10 per cent rise from last year.
Lee is expected to deliver his fourth address next month.
“We will continue to integrate patriotic education into day-to-day education, and strengthen their affection for and sense of belonging to our country,” said Lee, who first introduced patriotic education initiatives to enhance national identity in his 2022 Policy Address.
The chief executive added that the government had organised activities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, known otherwise as the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the “World Anti-Fascist War” – Beijing’s preferred name for the World War II.
Patriotism focus
National security-focused curriculum guidelines were introduced months after Beijing imposed a national security law directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi had earlier said that Hong Kong schools should cultivate patriotism among students and step up training for teachers to prevent “hostile forces from infiltrating schools.”
Under a new humanities curriculum set to be trialled in the coming school year, primary school students are required to have a basic knowledge of national defence, the Beijing-enacted security legislation, and the Hong Kong People’s Liberation Army garrison.
Study tours in mainland China have also become a core part of secondary school curriculum.
In the Sunday video, Lee also said that people could now “safely” express their patriotism in public after positive changes in society brought about by the city’s two national security legislations, saying some were doxxed or attacked for identifying as patriots “a few years ago.”
With the Beijing-imposed national security law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance – known colloquially as Article 23 – now in place, patriotism has been allowed to “take root in society,” Lee said.
“Citizens can now express their patriotic sentiments safely and securely,” he added.
There have been no large-scale protests since the 2020 law criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts.
The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
