National education to launch gradually
July 20, 2012
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said moral and national education will not be launched as a compulsory subject in all primary schools in September, and denied the education chief's recent Beijing visit was a "secret trip".
Mrs Lam told the media today the curriculum guideline the Education Bureau issued in April aimed to help schools teach the subjects progressively in the coming three years.
She believed school principals and teachers would adopt an impartial approach in preparing the teaching materials.
They will teach the students to think independently, adding there will be no “brainwashing”, she said.
Refuting reports that Secretary for Education Eddie Ng had made a "secret trip" to Beijing earlier this week, Mrs Lam noted that it was a courtesy call, to meet his Beijing counterpart at the Ministry of Education.
She said a press release had not been issued was due to a misunderstanding about two sets of arrangements - one for issuing a press release when a principal official leaves Hong Kong, and the need for an acting arrangement in their absence.
Mrs Lam has made assurances a press release will be issued in future whenever a principal official makes an official visit, regardless of the trip's duration.
