Policy change set for immediate implementation

September 10, 2012

The Education Bureau said today it will immediately implement the change of policy recently announced by the Chief Executive on the moral and national education subject.
 
Under the new policy, school-sponsoring bodies and schools can exercise their discretion to decide whether to implement the subject, whether the subject should be introduced as an independent subject and, if so, determine the modes and schedule for its implementation.
 
The so-called "deadline" for implementing the subject in three years does not exist, it said.
 
The bureau will withdraw the Circular Memorandum No.73/2012 issued to all primary, secondary and special schools on May 15 this year.
 
Details on the disbursement arrangements of the Moral & National Education Subject Support Grant stipulated in the circular will remain unchanged. A revised Circular Memorandum will be issued as soon as possible.
 
The Secretary for Education has requested the Curriculum Development Council, chaired by Prof Kenneth Young, to review critically the controversial parts of the Curriculum Guide, including views on curriculum planning, whether the related content could be included in other subjects such as Chinese history, should schools decide not to implement it as an independent subject.
 
The Government hopes council will complete its review as soon as possible and make recommendations to the bureau on the revision of the Curriculum Guide.
 
The Committee on the Initiation of Moral & National Education subject, chaired by Anna Wu, will also make suggestions on the guide.
 
The bureau will take out immediately the parts of the Curriculum Guide on contemporary China and related assessment.
 
The bureau reiterated the implementation of the subject is not a political mission.
 
On the request of "withdrawing" the subject, the bureau said as Hong Kong is a pluralistic society, neither the Government nor any other person should or could intervene if schools have plans to implement the subject. There is no question of "withdrawing" the subject.