The Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress enacted on Tuesday the
People’s Republic of China Patriotic Education Law
. This legislation directs various government bodies and civil organisations to integrate patriotic content into the public education system.
The Chinese government aims to embed patriotic themes by teaching subjects such as Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thoughts and Xi Jinping Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Additional topics include the history and outstanding achievements of the Chinese Communist Parties, Chinese traditional, revolutionary, and advanced socialist culture, as well as national symbols and emblems. The law mandates the establishment of a central department to manage patriotic education and coordinate its implementation across diversified sectors, including culture and tourism, news and publications, radio and television and film, internet information and cultural artifacts.
In a notable move, Article 23 of the law stipulates that the country should conduct “One Country, Two Systems” education to bolster the patriotic sentiment of citizens in Hong Kong and Macau, and to cultivate their consciousness to protect sovereignty and national unity. This has been echoed in the Policy Address of the Hong Kong Chief Executive, which includes new initiatives such as the establishment of the Chinese Culture Promotion Office and the creation of two museums dedicated to China and the War of Resistance. The Education Bureau has been assigned the responsibility of administering national security education training to teachers and introducing a Humanities Curriculum Framework for primary schools to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese culture.
Worth noting is that this article also calls for heightened promotional education towards Taiwan regarding China’s reunification. The law, however, remains non-specific about how the Chinese government is planning to implement this article in Taiwan.
The implications of the law enacted are significant for not only China’s educational landscape but also its political one, indicating its strong commitment to strengthening national unity.
Read more at the original article: JURIST – News.