Religious Education in Postcolonial Hong Kong: Religious Plurality and Secularity
Author: Alexander Fedorov, me@afedorov.com
Department: Faculty of Education
University: The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Supervisor: Priya Goel
Year of completion: 2025
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
Hong Kong
, religious education
, religious plurality
, secularity
Areas of Research:
Education
, Religion
, Theory
Abstract
Hong Kong is internationally recognized in both popular and academic discourse for its unique sociocultural blend—a distinctiveness reflected in its religious education system, established in the mid-19th century. Its colonial past and post-handover transformations have been extensively studied. Yet, recent debates reveal tensions among religious plurality, government policies, and faith-based schools' historical influence. These discussions align with post-handover educational reforms, which seek to reconfigure Hong Kong's religious education landscape through secular narratives and policies. Since the 2010s, themes at the intersection of religion and education—especially secularity and religious plurality—have gained prominence. These discourses unfold against the backdrop of Hong Kong's post-handover educational system, shaped by enduring colonial-era structures, significant curriculum developments, and vigorous global debates on the future of religious education amid post-secular challenges.
Policy actors have been persistent in their efforts to redefine religious education, moving away from the traditional confessional model, in which schools—typically affiliated with Protestant or Catholic denominations—primarily focus on imparting their respective beliefs. This shift is exemplified by the "New Senior Secondary" curriculum's emphasis on cultural diversity, marking a significant departure in postcolonial perspectives on religious education. A key development in this area is the 2009 "Ethics and Religious Studies" (ERS) senior secondary elective. This course integrates various religious traditions—Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Islam, and Taoism—into a unified "Religious Traditions" elective. It also includes compulsory "Ethics" and "Faiths in Action" components, emphasizing experiential learning (CDC, 2019). By integrating religious studies with broader societal themes—such as citizenship, human rights, and business ethics—this design reflects the global pedagogical shift from confessional models to worldview-based approaches. This transition, which took shape in the UK and Europe during the 1960s and 1970s, has significantly influenced international discussions. In postcolonial Hong Kong, curriculum reforms echo these global trends while adapting to local sociopolitical dynamics. This study employs curriculum and discourse analysis to synthesize religious education's sociodemographic, cultural, spiritual, and legal dimensions in postcolonial Hong Kong. It connects local research to broader global discussions, drawing on documents such as the ERS Curriculum and Assessment Guide (CDC, 2007a, 2014a, 2019). Applying an interreligious education lens, this research traces the evolution of religious education in postcolonial Hong Kong, situating it within a global academic context. Despite the emphasis on interreligious education goals, the development and implementation of the ERS curriculum have been slow. This occurs in a context where the increasing social and educational relevance of these objectives contrasts sharply—both in societal discourse and in the historical role of Christian organizations—with the framework's original settings.
