Dynamics of Chinese nationalistic education in Hong Kong from 1945 to 2012

Abstract

‘Chinese’ is an ambiguous term, depending on whether it is taken to describe a political, linguistic, or cultural entity. While the term has often been considered to represent a politically and culturally homogeneous national identity in recent decades, this article aims to challenge this notion by examining the characteristics and practices of nationalistic education in Hong Kong since 1945. It explores how national identity has been interpreted by different Chinese states over time through different educational policies and practices. Focusing on the evolution of nationalistic education in three phases, this article presents a detailed account and analyses different nationalist narratives over six decades. It describes how different political forces define themselves and come to terms with what are often dual or competing national identities. Historical examples illustrate the challenges in policies and practices of nationalistic education.

Keywords:

• Nationalistic education
• history of education
• Chinese national identity
• state formation and education
• Hong Kong

Acknowledgements

The author and co-authors are grateful to Professor Robert Cowen, Professor Chen Feng, Professor David Turner, Professor Stephen Chiu, and Professor Wong Ting Hong for their advice and comments on earlier drafts of this article. All errors and omissions are those of the author and co-authors.