Chinese history lessons for all
Updated: 2013-10-25 06:54
By Ho Hon-kuen(HK Edition)
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After the handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997, the subject of Chinese History should have received greater consolidation and development in the city. With freedom of speech, academic freedom, as well as the protection of a sound legal system, life-wide learning of Chinese history could be more easily introduced in Hong Kong than on the mainland, Taiwan and even some other Asian countries. From the perspective of academic freedom and self-esteem, it is precious that secondary school students can understand the history of their own country from the ancient to the modern.
Unexpectedly, in the "Reform for the Education System" in 2000, the HKSAR government shockingly divided Chinese history in junior secondary education into four parts: school-based development, merging Chinese history and Western history, social and humanities, and Chinese history as a separate subject, in compliance with the conservatives. As for the senior secondary education, school-based assessment, essays, highly demanding and messy public examinations were introduced. All these historical errors had an impact on the subject.
Referring to last year's statistics, only one-tenth of all candidates for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) sat the Chinese History examination. However, the Education Bureau still righteously claimed that the fragmentation of the subject was not the main culprit. The decrease in candidates was merely a natural phenomenon, so we need not worry!
Indeed, when Chinese history was fragmented a decade ago, quite a number of teaching groups as well as some media columnists harbored their suspicions about the Education Bureau's "pioneering initiative". If Liberal Studies is to become an independent core subject, why not consider resuming Chinese history with its important liberal values as an independent and compulsory subject, formerly introduced in junior secondary education?
Chinese historian Sima Qian in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) once said: "Changes from the present and the past become the words of wisdom". Those words serve as a goal and guide for the study of Chinese history. In addition to that, scholar Liang Qichao in late Qing Dynastic (1644-1911) and the Republic of China said: "Describing the evolution of mankind enables us to seek the generally acknowledged truth and universal law." All these sayings emphasize the need for Chinese history as an independent core subject, as its contents are so rich that one has to bear the principle of "No fact without a clue; No validity with only a few clues" in their learning process.
If specialized teaching had been respected and the wide coverage of Chinese history was recognized in Hong Kong secondary schools, especially in junior secondary education, Chinese history would have long been treated as an independent core subject with its unique logical and emotional values. Here I have to reiterate my observations and educational views about Chinese history:
First, it proves the development of a country, including rights and wrongs. All these contribute to the maturity of the development.
Second, the study of Chinese history enables citizens to understand the difficulties in the development of our nation and the challenges of integration. Through this understanding, respect and affectionate feeling towards the country can be developed.
Third, the dead mourned for the lost days and nights. The quest for history is the soul and the impetus of the development of a country.
Fourth, it is the construction of national identity which is an indispensable learning content.
Fifth, both the ancient and modern history has to be cherished, moving forward to a conscientious study in high civilization and culture. This plays an important role in raising citizens' quality.
Sixth, it is valuable knowledge regardless of parties, self-interests, or subjective views.
Seventh, there is no taboo subject in the quest of knowledge.
Last, it is the development of the nation in the past and the present and a never-ending dialogue with a sense of contemporary feeling and reality, serving as a guide to thinking and moving forward.
Regrettably, in the major education reform launched a decade ago, the HKSAR government failed to see the importance of treating Chinese history as an independent core subject.
Under the fear that one would be born Chinese in the next life, the community is filled with the atmosphere of a refusal to identity as being Chinese. In this manner, there is no doubt that Chinese history as a school subject will go nowhere in the city. In the modern North American and European countries, the citizens have already reached a strong consensus - love the nation, love the national history! No matter in secondary or university education, action has been taken!
The author is the vice-chairman of Education Convergence.
(HK Edition 10/25/2013 page9)