教育局近日公布高中四个核心科目的优化方案并征求教界意见，其中通识科优化的力度最大，以“三个学习主题”取代原有的“六个单元”，分别为：“一国两制”下的香港、改革开放以来的国家，以及互联相依的世界。改革大纲符合教育局早前公布的宗旨，有助培养学生的国民身份认同、法治观及扩大国际视野，但如何确保新课程在实践过程中不变形不走样，可谓任重道远。

　　香港近年政治风波不断，包括大学生、中学生在内的大批年轻人捲入其中，成为牺牲品，令人痛心也启人反思“教育之病”。教育局推出高中科目改革方案，通识科改革成为焦点所在，拨乱反正，受到各方肯定。通过三大主题的学习，同学们了解基本法、国家宪法、国家安全法、国家政治体制、国家主权象征、香港政治体制、中华文化特征、内地改革开放进程等，可以达到润物细无声的效果，培养国民身份认同，增加明辨是非的能力，并能连结不同的知识结构，成为德才兼备的有用之材。

　　国安法教育成为新课程的重点之一，堪称亡羊补牢之举。香港前年爆发“修例风波”并衍变为“黑暴”，原因是多方面的，而根本原因在於基本法二十三条迟迟未立，香港在维护国安方面处於真空状态，反中乱港势力得以内外勾连，几乎将香港推入万劫不复的深渊。中央去年为香港制定国安法，虽是迫於形势之举，但事实证明效果显著，成为保障香港整体利益及市民福祉的定海神针。

　　建基於法治之上的自由，才是真正的自由。在学校强化国家安全教育是完善法治的应有之义，年轻人通过国安教育，自觉维护国家安全，抵禦各种误导及诱惑，避免误入歧途。当然，国安法刚落实半年，作为“新生事物”，香港社会有一个认识理解的过程，学校推动有关教育时，校方及老师或许感到没有经验、有一定的压力，这不难理解。教育部门可以组织相关老师进行培训，同时推出指引及大纲，为学校减轻压力，为老师排难释疑。

　　另一方面，揽炒派决不甘愿“纵暴平台”的失去，势必为破坏及阻挠新课程教育而绞尽脑汁，这从教协抹黑有关改革是所谓“谋杀通识”、“洗脑教育”、“灌输式教育”可见一斑。特区政府不能低估反中乱港势力的破坏能量，对於“泼污水”之举，需要保持高度的警觉，及时澄清，以正视听。

　　加强教材方面的监管也是重要一环。多年前特区政府推行通识科教育，本是出自好意，但由於制度设计方面的漏洞，结果被别有用心的“黄师”利用。譬如在指定教材之外，透过校方自行编撰补充材料，歪曲事实，“塞入私货”，以偏颇观念误导学生，教训不可谓不深刻。痛定思痛，香港教育必须建立与“一国两制”相适应的新体制，香港才有更加美好的明天。

2021-02-04

　　Enhancing National Security Law education through reform of the education system

　　The Education Bureau has recently publicised its proposal of optimising the curricula and assessments of the four senior secondary core subjects to solicit opinions from the education sector. Among others, the strength devoted to optimise the subject of liberal studies is the strongest: the current six Modules will be replaced by "three themes of study" - Hong Kong under "One Country, Two Systems", Our Country since Reform and Opening-up and Interconnectedness and Interdependence of the Contemporary World. The reform guidelines are in accord with the principles announced earlier by the Education Bureau of helping students foster the sense of national identity and awareness of the rule of law, and expand their international vision. But how to ensure the new curriculum to remain intact and undistorted in practice, it is an arduous task and there is a long way to go.

　　In recent years, there are incessant political turmoils in Hong Kong, in which a large number of young people including university and secondary-school students get involved and become victims. This is heart breaking but also leads us to ponder the "sickness of education". Now the Education Bureau launches reform on senior secondary core subjects, of which optimising the subject of liberal studies is the focus of attention. This is to clear up all the confusions and set things straight and hence is appreciated by various sectors. Through studying the three themes, students will gain knowledge about the Basic Law, the national Constitution, the Hong Kong National Security Law, our country's political system, the symbols of sovereignty of our country, Hong Kong's political system, features of the Chinese culture, progress of reform and opening-up in the Mainland, and so on.　　This could achieve the result of"giving the needed moisture silently", helping the students to foster the sense of national identity and enhance the ability to tell right from wrong. It will also enable the students to link together different structures of knowledge and grow into talented persons with both integrity and competence who could positively contribute to society.

　　Education on the Hong Kong National Security Law becomes a focus of the new curriculum. This can be called a "better-late-than-never" move. Two years ago in Hong Kong, protests against a proposed amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance broke out and escalated into violent rioting by black-clad mobsters. There are multiple causes behind this. The fundamental cause lay in the failure to legislate on Article 23 of the Basic Law for a long period of time. As a result, Hong Kong was in a vacuum when safeguarding national security was concerned, so much so that internal and external anti-China and trouble-making forces could collude with each other to nearly push Hong Kong into an abyss beyond redemption. The Central Government legislated the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region（Hong Kong National Security Law）last year. Although the Central Government was compelled by circumstances to take such a move, facts prove it is very effective with the law becoming the"Ocean-pacifying Pillar"to protect Hong Kong's overall interests and citizens' well-being.

　　Only freedom based on the rule of law is genuine freedom. To enhance Hong Kong National Security Law education in schools is an integral part of improving the rule of law. Through national security education, young people could become aware of safeguarding national security, resisting all sorts of misleading and temptation and avoiding being misguided. Needless to say, the Hong Kong National Security Law　　just came into effect half a year ago. As something new, it takes some time for Hong Kong society to become familiar with it. To promote education in this regard, school authorities and teachers may feel some pressure due to inexperience, which is quite understandable. The education authority could train teachers concerns and at the same time work out guidelines and programmes to ease the pressure felt by schools and help teachers overcome difficulties and clear up doubts.

　　On the other hand, mutual-destruction pursuers are by no means willing to give up that platform to " connive at　　violence", and bound to rack their brains to jeopardise and obstruct teachings following the new curriculum.　　This can be seen from the smearing of the concerned reform by the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (PTU) as "killing liberal studies","brain-washing education"and"inculcation". The SAR Government must not underestimate the destructive energy of the anti-China and trouble-making forces. It must remain on full alert about their"smearing"moves and react with timely clarifications so as to　　set the record straight.

　　It is also important to strengthen supervision on teaching materials. The SAR Government started to promote liberal studies years ago, out of a good will. But there are pitfalls in the design of the system, which have been made use of by "yellow teachers".　　For example, they could use supplementary materials compiled by schools themselves outside authorised textbooks to distort facts and insert their own stuff into teaching to mislead students with biased ideas. The lesson is profound. Drawing a lesson from such a bitter experience, Hong Kong must build a new education system in accord with "one country two systems". Only in this way can Hong Kong have a brighter future.

04 February 2021