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e’ve bought into the idea that education is about training and ‘success’ defned monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and to challenge. We should not forget that the true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers.”

So says Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Chris Hedges, and his concern is one that will resonate with many Hong Kong parents. The education system here has for many years been criticised for giving priority to content at the expense of teaching children how to learn and developing their critical faculties. The concern is that Hong Kong children can apply technical knowledge faultlessly but are unable to think for themselves or form an opinion – vital life skills for any age. The ability to think critically enables us to make self-assessments, balance contradictory viewpoints, form reasoned judgments, learn from

new experiences and become rational and reasonable human beings. It is a skill that benefts businesses and communities locally, nationally and globally, by creating informed and responsible members of society; it’s what sets us apart as humans. But have our children been missing out on this crucial skill?

Lifelong learning

To try to address the criticism, in 2009, the Hong Kong government introduced “liberal studies” as part of its core secondary school curriculum. The Hong Kong education department stated that the new subject would provide a “useful foundation for further studies, future employment and a life of fulflment”. Kenneth Chen, Hong Kong Under Secretary for Education, said in an interview that, “Obviously, you need content and subject knowledge … but more importantly, we feel that kids need to have that attitude that they need to learn continuously.” The plan

Learning is about more than repeating facts and fgures. Eleanor Smallwood and Olivia Hungerford explain the value of critical thinking skills, even for the youngest kids.

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