Competition between Politicized and Depoliticized Versions of Civic Education Curricula: The Case of Hong Kong

Abstract

This article discusses the influence of Confucianism on civic education, focusing on Hong Kong as a particular case of concern. The development of Hong Kong's civic education is sketched, highlighting the competitions between the politicized and depoliticized versions of the civic education curriculum. The notion that a depoliticized civic education, supported by Confucian ideals, is necessarily a distinctive feature of Asian civic education, is then critiqued. Finally, the article argues that an eclectic version of civic education, comprising both political and moral components, is warranted. This is what Confucian tenets really mean. It is hoped that the discussion here will help reflect whether Confucian tenets justify depoliticization of education and civic education. This is important given the growing aspiration for democracy and citizens' participation in civil societies, particularly those whose cultural roots are in the Confucian tradition. Moreover, the authors hope that the dialogues between Confucian traditions and the Western traditions discussed in the article can shed light on some thought-provoking issues of interest to an international readership, particularly as China is becoming more influential globally.

The Development of a Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS)

“…Thus, in Hong Kong, civic education as a whole has emphasised personal and moral development rather than democracy and human rights (Leung & Yuen, 2012). Accordingly, we observe that, in alignment with this overall approach, the stated objectives and expected learning outcomes of service-learning programs in Hong Kong tertiary education institutions have emphasised knowledge application and practical skills rather than proactive civic engagement or democratic ideals, as illustrated in Table 2 below.…”

“…Third, we made self-awareness the basis of a fresh category, subsuming the domains of self-understanding, self-esteem, and commitment to self-improvement, once again acknowledging the importance of Confucian self-cultivation (Lee, 2004). Fourth, the domains that are subsumed under our category of civic orientation and engagement reflect the relatively depoliticized approach to civic education in Hong Kong (Leung & Yuen, 2012), with its muted concern for participatory democracy.…”

Utilizing Youth Media Practice to Influence Change: A Pretest–Posttest Study

“…Further, some government-supported infrastructures have tried to promote a comprehensive idealized sense of being Chinese via school curriculums (Leung & Yuen, 2012;Ma, 2010;Vickers & Kan, 2003). The Hong Kong government once tried to propose a stand-alone patriotic curriculum under the banner of national education, and this notion was seriously criticized as brainwashing the Hong Kong population (Kan, 2012).…”

The Politics of Education: Education from a Political and Citizenship Discourse

“…Civic education could therefore sometimes be described as relying on moralism (Audigier, 1999;Leung & Wai Wa Yuen, 2012) and there is the perception that civic education is more about integrating people into an existing order (cf. Davis et al, 2005).…”