Over 45,000 students in Hong Kong have taken the inaugural university exam for the Citizenship and Social Development (CS) subject in April. With the aim of “optimizing” senior secondary core subjects and address “deviations” in core subject implementation, the Hong Kong Education Bureau first introduced CS during the 2021-2022 academic year to replace Liberal Studies (LS), the mandatory senior secondary school curriculum aimed at strengthening students’ critical thinking skills and social awareness.
 

This new curriculum, designed to “deepen [the] understanding and sense of identity of individuals with Chinese nationality and Chinese citizenship”, includes a compulsory field trip to the mainland. It has faced criticism from educators and students alike for its attempt to depoliticize exam questions and potentially stifle open discussion in the classroom. Unlike previous LS exams, which encouraged students to explore multiple sides of issues and entertain diverse perspectives, this inaugural HKDSE CS exam focused heavily on students’ capacity to describe and explain topics such as the development of the Greater Bay Area, the National Anthem Ordinance, and Hong Kong’s Basic Law.