Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Judy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
It has been reported that the Japanese Prime Minister will push for amending the pacifist constitution. There are views that “neo-militarism” may become a growing threat that jeopardises regional peace and stability. The Government needs to enhance the younger generation’s awareness of guarding against “neo-militarism”, and examine whether the current primary and secondary school curriculum system is adequate for students to develop an accurate understanding of the history of Japanese aggression of China. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the proportion of teaching content relating to the history of Japanese aggression of China and the harm of militarism in the curriculum framework and teaching materials of Junior Secondary Chinese History and Senior Secondary Citizenship and Social Development subjects; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether it has any plans to regularly review the quality of relevant teaching materials to ensure that their content accurately and objectively reflects historical facts, so as to counterbalance information disseminated by Japan to the outside world that downplays or distorts the history of militarist aggression, and enable the teaching materials to properly guide students to understand the historical background of Japanese militarism and the principles underlying the formulation of the post-war pacifist constitution; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) whether it will strengthen relevant training for frontline teachers to ensure that they are equipped with the capability to obtain the latest information and effectively guide students to correctly understand the history of Japanese aggression (including the harm inflicted on compatriots, the situation during the occupation of Hong Kong, the historical lessons of militarism and the importance of upholding peace for the well-being of future generations); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether it has any plans to encourage schools to enhance students’ understanding of the history of Japanese aggression of China through extra-curricular activities beyond the classroom; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) given that the Government proposed in the 2025 Policy Address to optimise the curriculum frameworks for the senior secondary Chinese History and History subjects, and that the Education Bureau announced the content of the curriculum frameworks in October 2025 and issued questionnaires to collect views from schools offering or planning to offer the subject concerned, of the latest progress on the consultation results and the review exercise?
Reply:
President,
The Education Bureau (EDB) has attached great importance to the education of the history of the War of Resistance and is committed to promoting patriotic education and a correct understanding of history. The young generation should understand the 14-year history of Chinese people’s War of Resistance against Japanese fascist and militarist invasion, as well as remember the Chinese people’s courageous resistance to the Japanese aggression and the scourge brought about by the Japanese militarism to our country and the world, thereby further strengthening the younger generation’s awareness of the resurgence of militarism.
Regarding the question raised by the Hon Judy Chan, the EDB’s reply is as follows:
(1) and (2) The three curricula of Primary Humanities, junior secondary Chinese History and History cover the content of the history of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, so as to cultivate students’ sense of national identity and patriotism.
Junior secondary Chinese History
Secondary 3 Chinese History provides the topic of “Japanese invasion of China and the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression”, which includes learning content such as the background of Japanese invasion of China, the course and result of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and anti-Japanese aggression activities, with a view to nurturing students’ proper values of sense of nationhood and cherishing peace. The above accounts for about 14 per cent of the learning content in Secondary 3, with learning and teaching resources sharing about the same proportion.
Junior secondary History
The content related to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is mainly distributed in relevant topics in Secondary 2 and 3. The content covers Japan’s modernisation and transformation into a great power and external expansion after the colonial expansion of European countries in East Asia since the mid-19th century; the rise of Japanese militarism and continuous external aggression in the early 20th century; its invasion of our country and neighouring countries in Asia during the Second World War and the tremendous harm it brought about; and the development of Japan after its defeat in the Second World War, so as to enable students to understand from a broad perspective the history of Japan’s aggression and militarism.
Primary Humanities
The War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is the essential learning content in Primary 6, covering the learning of the causes of the Japanese invasion of China and the development during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, thereby enabling primary students to have a basic understanding of the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The content of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is one of the components of “6.3 Change of Our Country” in Primary 6 of Primary Humanities. As planned, publishers will submit relevant teaching materials to the EDB for review, and publish them in due course.
Senior secondary Citizenship and Social Development (CS)
The part concerning learning about the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in CS is mainly covered in the itineraries of the Mainland study tours for students. For details on the visiting sites related to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in CS, please refer to the Student activities section below.
Learning and teaching resources
The EDB has produced diverse learning and teaching resources on the theme of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, including “Learning and Teaching Resource Pack on ‘AI Fighters of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression’ School Roving Exhibition”, “The 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression: Selections from the Hsu Chung Mao Collection”, Learning and teaching resource on Historical Theme (War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression) (covering the September 18th Incident, Nanjing Massacre, Peace Declaration, etc). Besides, the EDB also presented the “Chronicle of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Brigade (Revised Edition)” to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong offering local curricula (including special schools) in 2025. A thematic talk was also organised to help schools integrate the content into the learning and teaching of relevant subjects, thereby deepening students’ understanding of the history and contributions of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column during the War of Resistance.
Textbook review
The EDB has drawn up a set of rigorous textbook review procedures. Textbooks submitted for review are reviewed by the textbook review panels, which comprise subject officers from the EDB, frontline teachers and academics from tertiary institutions. Reviewers conduct reviews in accordance with Textbook Writing Guidelines, and publishers should amend the content of the textbooks based on the Textbook Review Reports to ensure the quality of textbooks and alignment with the requirements of the curriculum. Textbooks which have passed all of the above review will be put on the “Recommended Textbook List” for schools’ textbook selection. Currently, the textbooks of both Chinese History and History cover the historical background of the rise of militarism in Japan and its launching of external aggression, and the impact and harms it brought about to our country and the world during the Second World War. Some textbooks also mention the contents of Japan under the occupation and reforms of the Allies after Japan’s defeat in the Second World War (including the promulgation of the “pacifist Constitution”, etc). The EDB will constantly review the quality of relevant textbooks provided by publishers with the aim to enhance content accuracy and reflect historical facts in an objective manner.
(3) and (4) Continuous professional development
The EDB has attached importance to and continuously organised teachers training programmes and diverse student activities relevant to Japan’s invasion on China and the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression to support the educational work on the history of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. From the 2024/25 school year till now, the EDB has organised a total of 28 relevant teacher training activities, including large-scale academic seminars, visits to museum exhibitions and workshops, thematic seminars, online training programmes, and local and Mainland field visits, providing a total of over 3 570 training places to enhance the professional capacity of teachers. Teachers responded positively to the above training programmes.
Student activities
In addition, in tandem with the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in 2025, the EDB organised various feature student activities, including:
- “History e-Reading Award Scheme 2025” with the theme to commemorate the victory of the War of Resistance (a total of over 36 300 students from 187 schools participated)
- “Learn from Museums – Novice Curator Training Programme 2025” co-organised with the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence (a total of over 80 students from 20 schools participated)
- “The 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance” Hong Kong Secondary School Short Video Competition (a total of 330 students from 42 schools participated);
- Joint participation of students and teachers from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the “Remember History, Cherish Peace”: 88th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre Student Commemorative and Educational Activity (a total of over 6 100 students from 91 schools participated);
- “From War to Peace: Life Lessons from Modern Chinese History” Student Learning Series Activities (including the “AI Fighters of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression” School Roving Exhibition and “Visual Narrative of the War of Resistance: Territory-wide Creative Competition”, with a total of over 13 000 students from 87 schools participated);
- The 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance Thematic Exhibition and Learning Project (a total of over 5 500 students from 90 schools participated);
- A study tour on tracing the footsteps of heroes against Japanese aggression (a total of about 160 students from 36 schools participated);
- “Learning Circle of National Education” seminars and visits themed on the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column (a total of over 90 students from seven schools participated); and
- The Third National Security Education Study Tour visiting the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders (a total of about 150 students from 30 schools participated).
The EDB has been organising diverse student activities to provide students with learning experiences beyond the classroom so as to strengthen their understanding of the War of Resistance and cherish the hard-won peace, as well as understand that safeguarding and pursuing world peace are the common aspiration and goal of humanity. Examples include adding to student Mainland study tours visits to sites related to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, such as historic sites, museums and thematic memorial halls including the first Patriotic Education Base for Hong Kong and Macao Youth established at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, the “918” Historical Museum in Shenyang. Through field visits, students can transform the historical knowledge learned in the classroom into concrete insights, gain a deep understanding of the historical lessons from the history of the War of Resistance and militarism on the basis of a correct historical perspective, and cherish the hard-won peace, thereby understanding the arduous journey of our country’s development towards prosperity and strength, and strengthening their sense of belonging to the nation and responsibility.
(5) The optimised senior secondary Chinese History and History curriculum frameworks were announced in October 2025, and the school briefing sessions were also held in the same month, with over 500 teachers participated. In November 2025, the school questionnaire surveys for the two History subjects were completed, with a response rate of over 80 per cent. Schools generally expressed a positive view on the content of the optimised curricula and suggested assessment modes. To support the implementation of the optimised curricula in September 2027, the EDB will collaborate with tertiary institutions and experts/scholars to develop learning and teaching resources, and review textbooks for use upon the implementation of the curricula in the 2027/28 school year. Meanwhile, the EDB will also provide systematic teacher training on the optimised curricula, with no fewer than 1 500 training places offered in the 2026/27 school year, to support schools in implementing the optimised curricula effectively. Furthermore, the EDB will continue to enhance teacher networks and facilitate professional exchange among teachers through frontline teachers’ experience sharing, thus actively promoting the work on history education.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority also announced the assessment frameworks and sample questions for the optimised curricula of the two History subjects in March 2026. Nearly 700 teachers participated in the briefing sessions held in the same month. The optimised curricula will be implemented in Secondary 4 starting from the 2027/28 school year, and the first Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations are expected to be held in 2030 after the optimisation of the senior secondary Chinese History and History curricula.