Challenges to Values Education in Hong Kong School Music Education

Abstract

This study deals with the issue of incorporating values education in music education in Hong Kong's primary and secondary schools. It includes the development of the state's cultural and national identity since its handover from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China (PRC). Thirty primary and secondary school music teachers were interviewed in order to understand how notions of “musical values” and “non-musical values” have been addressed in the curriculum. In particular, this study focuses on music teachers' perspectives on teaching world music, traditional Chinese music, the PRC national anthem, and non-musical values. This paper questions the effectiveness of existing curricular and pedagogical attempts to encourage the students' musical experience and extra-musical education. It concludes that values education must have clear conceptions of “values”, “musical cultures”, and “national identity” in order to maintain unity amidst the intensifying plurality of ethnicities and cultures in Hong Kong.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful for the Faculty Research Grant from Hong Kong Baptist University that funded this research. I would also like to thank all the music teachers who took time to take part in this study. I am also grateful to anonymous reviewers for the useful comments on a previous version of the paper.

Notes

1. The Hok Yau Club is a non-profit-making social institution for students.

2. There are three major modes of school sponsorship in Hong Kong: those of government schools, aided schools, and private schools. Government schools, which are relatively rare, are part of the government establishment. They are fully funded and directly managed by the Education Manpower Bureau. By far the most numerous are aided schools, run by voluntary, non-profit-making bodies such as religious and charity organisations. Private schools, unlike government or aided schools, rely mainly on student fees for survival. The Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) was introduced in 1991 as a response to the recommendations of the Education Commission. The aim of setting up the DSS is to develop a strong private sector by providing high-quality schools other than government and aided schools.