Education chief says students must respect the ruling party even if they have no love for it

Hong Kong’s education chief said on Tuesday that students must learn about and respect the country’s ruling party, defending criticism that the government is forcing students to love a political party or a regime in an education revamp.

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin’s remarks came as the general studies subject in primary school will be replaced with a humanities curriculum that places significant focus on patriotic education from the 2025-26 academic year.

The measures were part of the government’s response to a new patriotic education law passed by the nation’s top legislative body the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

The general studies – launched in 1996 – in primary schools, will be axed and replaced with two subjects, humanities and science, from September 2025 in a bid to boost patriotic education.

Sources said the humanities curriculum will focus on the country’s geography, history, latest developments and Chinese culture to boost the awareness of national identity among students.

Speaking on a radio program this morning, Choi said patriotic education is not merely taught in schools as a subject, but as a value and attitude. She said every subject taught in school will embody elements to allow students to learn more about their country, while schools will arrange different activities and exchanges for the same purpose.

The education chief said the Communist Party is China’s ruling party, and it is impossible for students to not learn about it when getting to know their country.

Meanwhile, Choi slammed Western media for demonizing the party, emphasizing that students must know about the Communist Party in a correct sense.

Primary One and Four pupils in the 2025-26 academic year will be the first batch to study the revamped subject, with full implementation in 2027-28.

Following the revamp, the humanities subject will also cover topics such as sex education, sustainable development, healthy lifestyle and financial education, which Choi said 90 percent of the content were the same as those in the general studies subject.