Hong Kong education department unveils revised history curriculum

HONG KONG - The Education Bureau of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government Thursday announced the revised curriculum frameworks for the junior middle school Chinese history and history subjects.

The updated curriculum divides Chinese history into nine historical periods with contents to be structured around the learning focuses of these periods to help students develop a comprehensive understanding of Chinese historical development, according to the bureau.

It also includes elements of cultural characteristics and Hong Kong's development, so students will learn Chinese historical development from political, cultural, social and other aspect, thus widening their perspective of history, according to the authority.

Regarding the subject of history, the revised curriculum, designed in chronological order, is made up of 12 topics with a theme suggested for each school year.

To broaden students' international perspectives, and enhance their understanding of other major civilizations of the world, the histories of civilizations and countries in other regions, such as the rise of Islamic civilization and the founding and development of the United States, have been added to the revised curriculum.

The revisions of the two history subjects have been well received by the education sector following more than four years of professional discussion, the bureau said.

The new curriculum will be implemented progressively in schools in September 2020 at the earliest.

A spokesman for the bureau hoped that the revised curriculum frameworks will enable students to study Chinese and world history and culture in a holistic and systematic manner and develop a sense of national identity, love for Hong Kong and international perspectives for coping with opportunities and challenges ahead.