Reflections on History Education for 21st Century Chinese Communities‪.‬

Hong Kong education has undergone tremendous changes in the last ten years, in particular, unanticipated changes in the history curriculum as well as educational policies in secondary schools and universities. As a result, enthusiasm for learning history has tended to decline. Why? The introduction of Liberal Studies as a compulsory subject in secondary schools may eventually contribute--at least in part--to the elimination of history in some secondary schools. (1) At the same time, the advancement of information technology (IT) and the worldwide web will play a crucial role in the lives of Hong Kong people and their education in the new millennium. These changes undoubtedly cause anxiety for, and pose severe challenges to, history teachers and historians in Hong Kong. Since the hand-over of Hong Kong in 1997, teachers have been wondering how to inculcate Hong Kong youngsters with a sense of cultural identity and the conscience of responsible citizens if Chinese history were to be largely abolished in schools and universities. Another, related anxiety is the security of history departments in Hong Kong universities. Furthermore, the incorporation of new technology into history teaching and the making of history as interesting a subject as possible remain matters of persistent concern for Hong Kong history teachers and professors.