Law education for young Hong Kong citizens: A framework for education about the basic law

The Basic Law, a law of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, plays a fundamental role in the life of Hong Kong people, As Gittings (2013) recently explained: As the highest law with practical effect in Hong Kong, it sets the framework for Hong Kong’s system of government, how its courts operate, and the rights and freedoms enjoyed by its residents, to name just a few examples. Yet the school curriculum does not deal with these major civic issues in any great depth. As Chinese citizens, the city’s youth need to be aware of what defines their citizenship in legal terms, how they can take on their responsibilities as citizens and how they can make a productive contribution to Hong Kong and the nation. This paper will draw on the Basic Law Education Project that has been funded by The Education University of Hong Kong. It will describe the five domains of study that have been identified (Rule of Law, Rule by Law, Historical Contexts of the Basic Law, How the Basic Law was Made, Changing the Basic Law), compare and contrast these to other law education projects both in Hong Kong and internationally and indicate pedagogies that can be used to enliven Basic Law Education in Hong Kong classrooms.