Mainland Chinese officials stipulate that liberal studies are one of the tools radicalizing Hong Kong’s youths and therefore should be eliminated because it makes learners become rebels.
Liberal studies are part of the learners’ curriculum in Hong Kong, specifically, the mandatory civics course.
Teachers and students in Hong Kong have praised this course because they believe it makes learners exceptional citizens. Moreover, their societal engagement is elevated by this course.
Hong Kong’s struggles
Hong Kong has been experiencing considerable protests and since June. Expressly, they were instigated by a bill that was to permit the extradition of criminals for trial in mainland China was proposed. This bill, however, has been.
Concerns have been raised about the state of high school students in Hong Kong as they started reopening school from September 2.
Specifically, there are worries that these learners will move the struggles witnessed in Hong Kong streets into classrooms. For instance, some of the students have started attending school wearing gas masks.
Hong Kong students plan class boycotts
Students in Hong Kong from high schools and universities have made considerable plans of starting class boycotts so that they can pressurize the government to heed to the demands aired by protesters, such as withdrawal of the contentious bill and the inclusion of universal suffrage.
Nevertheless, the relevant authorities are continuously depoliticizing these learning institutions.
Mainland China is against Hong Kong’s liberal studies, and it seeks to have it abolished. If this happens, this course will be ramped up just like patriotic education was done on the mainland.
Liberal studies is intended at boosting the learners critical thinking capabilities and knowledgebase about subjects, such as climate change and Hong Kong’s identity. As a result, Hong Kong students are made objective and analytical.
