New humanities curriculum for primary schoolchildren
The Education Bureau announced on Thursday that schools will start testing out a new humanities curriculum for primary pupils from the next academic year. Under a shake-up of the general studies subject, it'll be split into humanities and science sections. The humanities curriculum will cover six topics: Health and Living, Environment and Living, Financial Education and Economics, Community and Citizenship, Our Country and I, and the World and I. One of the focuses of the curriculum is on patriotic education. Pupils in Primary Three will begin learning about the National Security Law, as well as the nation's constitution and the Basic Law. Paul Lee, Chief Curriculum Development Officer (Kindergarten and Primary) of the Education Bureau, said national security education in primary schools is not a new thing, but training will be provided for teachers. "Most of the teaching content of the humanities subject is restructured from the original general studies subject, but it will be in line with the recent curriculum development," he said. "It will include elements of the Chinese culture, the nation's history and geography. This can cultivate students' sense of belonging towards the country, national sentiment and national identity systematically when they are young, in order to introduce patriotic education." The humanities curriculum will become an official part of the syllabus in phases from 2025/26.