Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests would not have been possible without the deep involvement of thousands of students, who have shown a resolve that has belied the once-prevailing view of their city as apolitical — and prompted the political elite there to search for explanations. The protests began on Sept. 22 with a student-led boycott, and students have composed the backbone of the sit-ins, which have crippled parts of the Asian financial center for more than seven weeks. But the government itself may have inadvertently planted the seeds of the protests years prior; in seeking answers, some members of Hong Kong's pro-Beijing camp have seized upon a secondary school curriculum known as "liberal studies."
In Sept. 2009, the government mandated liberal studies in secondary schools as part of education reform. The subject comprised six modules: personal development and interpersonal relationships, contemporary Hong Kong, modern China, globalization, energy technology and the environment, and public health. Contemporary Hong Kong has become the most controversial of all, as it broaches topics like political participation and the rule of law. As part of the curriculum, students are required to complete an individual project, which involves in-depth research and the submission of a 1,500 to 4,000-word report. At the time of the reform, rote learning had been the norm in Hong Kong's school system, and the subject was introduced to nurture critical thinking skills and raise students' awareness of issues influencing Hong Kong, China, and the world.
While no bright line connects the curricular reforms with the protests, many seen as sympathetic to Beijing view liberal studies unfavorably. "The possible connection" between the protests and the curricular subject "lies in the fact that there were many secondary school teachers supportive" of the protests, Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a law professor and lawmaker, told Foreign Policy."A lot of political groups, including [protest leader] Benny Tai, gave speeches in secondary schools to promote Occupy Central,” one of the terms used to refer to the protests. Although she added it was “okay for students to discuss politics,” they are unable to “thoroughly understand difficult political theories and put them into action.” Another legislator, Regina Ip, said she has discussed liberal studies with the curriculum’s development committee and finds it wanting. Ip told FP, “The chairman [of the committee], an academic himself, said that too much revolves around current affairs."
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