OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 3 July
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 14347 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 3 July 2013 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, B.B.S., M.H. 14348 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, B.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 14349 THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE NG LEUNG-SING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING THE HONOURABLE GARY FAN KWOK-WAI THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHARLES PETER MOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHI-CHUEN THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN DR THE HONOURABLE KENNETH CHAN KA-LOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LEUNG 14350 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN DR THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LIAO CHEUNG-KONG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE POON SIU-PING, B.B.S., M.H. THE HONOURABLE TANG KA-PIU DR THE HONOURABLE CHIANG LAI-WAN, J.P. IR DR THE HONOURABLE LO WAI-KWOK, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHUNG KWOK-PAN THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 14351 PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, G.B.S., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE JOHN TSANG CHUN-WAH, G.B.M., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE TSANG TAK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE THE HONOURABLE GREGORY SO KAM-LEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND TAM CHI-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE LAI TUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY THE HONOURABLE EDDIE NG HAK-KIM, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION THE HONOURABLE WONG KAM-SING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT 14352 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MR ANDY LAU KWOK-CHEONG, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 14353 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Will the Clerk please ring the bell to summon Members back to the Chamber. (After the summoning bell had been rung, a number of Members entered the Chamber) TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table under Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instrument L.N. No. Arbitration (Appointment of Arbitrators and Mediators and Decision on Number of Arbitrators) Rules ............ 115/2013 Other Papers No. 101 ─ Construction Industry Council Annual Report 2012 No. 102 ─ Construction Workers Registration Authority Work Report for 2012/13 (From 1 April 2012 to 31 December 2012) Report of the Bills Committee on Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2013 ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. Teaching Chinese History in Secondary Schools 1. MS STARRY LEE (in Cantonese): It has been reported that since the reform of the secondary school curriculum in 2001, quite a number of secondary schools have cancelled teaching Chinese history as an independent subject in 14354 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 their junior secondary curriculum, resulting in a continuous decline in the number of senior secondary students taking the subject in recent years. This year, only some 7 400 candidates took the examination on the subject of Chinese History of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination, representing a sharp drop of over 1 000 candidates from that of last year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the number of secondary schools currently teaching Chinese history as an independent subject in both their junior and senior secondary curricula, the number of those which have a combined subject of Chinese history and World History in their junior secondary curriculum, and the number of those which only teach Chinese history using a thematic approach under the subject of Integrated Humanities in their junior secondary curriculum, and the respective percentages of such numbers in the total number of secondary schools offering mainstream curriculum; (b) of the respective numbers and percentages of Secondary Four (S4) to Secondary Six (S6) students taking the subject of Chinese History each year since the implementation of the new senior secondary (NSS) curriculum; and (c) as some academics have pointed out that knowledge in the history of one's nation is the foundation for his sense of national identity, whether the Education Bureau will consider afresh requiring all secondary schools offering mainstream curriculum to teach Chinese history as an independent and compulsory subject at the junior secondary level; if so, when it will be implemented; if not, of the reasons for that? SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION (in Cantonese): President, the Education Bureau has requested all secondary schools offering mainstream curriculum to teach Chinese History at the junior secondary level. In other words, Chinese History is clearly compulsory in junior secondary. I repeat that Chinese History is clearly compulsory in junior secondary. Regarding senior secondary, Chinese History will continue to be an elective subject as in the past. Under the old academic structure, candidates usually took four to five subjects in addition to Chinese, English and Mathematics LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 3 July 2013 14355 at the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) but now under the NSS Academic Structure, students only take two to three subjects in addition to the core subjects. Therefore, there are fewer students in most elective subjects, and among them Chinese History. It is our view that the above situation is irrelevant to whether Chinese History is an independent subject at the junior secondary level. Teaching Chinese History as "an independent subject" means dissociating Chinese History from World History and from other humanities subjects, and to teach China's 5 000 years of history by individual dynasties, with the focus placed on political history with all its order and chaos, and changes in regime from the 1911 Revolution to Year 2000. Such Chinese History curriculum approach is considered to be a more traditional one in Hong Kong. But this is not the only way to teach Chinese History. Some academics advocate an integrated subject linking the curricula of Chinese History and World History. This will enable students to have an idea of China's position in the context of world development in different eras, and allow more comprehensive examination of the similarities and differences as well as their experience of interaction between China and beyond in terms of their development. Other academics argue that Chinese History can be organized along certain themes designed in such a way that students will be able to have a grasp of Chinese social, cultural and technological developments in addition to the order and chaos of dynastic rule.