Modernisation And Transformation Of Hong Kong

I. Modernisation and Transformation of Hong Kong

A. Political and institutional changes : Part 1 (1900-1945)

I. Modernisation and Transformation of Hong Kong

A. Political and institutional changes :

Part 1: 1900-1945

Enquiry questions:

1. What were the structures of the Hong Kong government and its features in the early 20th century?

2. What were the features of Japanese rule during the Japanese Occupation? What challenges did the Japanese rule bring to the British rule of Hong Kong?

No. of periods required:

5 (some double periods preferred)

Each period lasts for 40 minutes.

1. Teaching background

a. The topic is to be introduced to S4 students.

b. Students should have developed some basic skills of chronological thinking, historical comprehension, empathy, enquiry, critical thinking and communication at junior secondary level.

c. Students should have acquired some basic knowledge regarding the political and administrative changes in Hong Kong through S1–3 History curriculum or other related PSHE curricula such as “Integrated Humanities”, “Economic and Public Affairs” and “History and Culture”.

d. While making use of the materials presented in the textbooks, students will be asked to engage in various learning activities like group discussion, presentation and research.

2. Learning objectives

Students are expected to:

a. acquire knowledge and develop understanding of the political and institutional conditions of Hong Kong in the first half of the 20th century;

b. understand basic historical concepts, such as cause and effect, change and continuity, and similarities and differences;

c. search for, select and synthesis information through various means, and consider ways of arriving at conclusions;

d. understand the challenges that the government faced in the past.

3. Strategies

Enquiry question 1:

What were the structure of the Hong Kong government and its features in the early 20th century? (3 periods)

a. Students are asked to share in groups what they have learnt at junior forms regarding the political development of Hong Kong in the 20th century and record their discussion in the format of a mind map. (Appendix 1.1) (This activity enables the teacher to learn about students’ prior knowledge.)

b. Teacher summarizes the ideas, and explains the structures of the Hong Kong government in the early 20th century.

c. Students study the text on the features of the Hong Kong government in the early 20th century.

d. Teacher distributes activity cards and asks students to distinguish structure and features. (Appendix 1.2)

e. Students complete source study – How powerful was the Governor of Hong Kong? (Appendix 1.3)

Enquiry question 2:

What were the features of Japanese rule during the Japanese Occupation? What challenges did the Japanese rule bring to the British rule of Hong Kong? (2 periods)

a. Students are invited to share what they have learnt about the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong. (The topic is covered in S3 History curriculum, or some other PSHE curricula.)

b. Teacher explains the political changes brought by Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong.

c. Teacher shows movie clips about Hong Kong under Japanese Occupation.

d. Students complete worksheet on Japanese rule of Hong Kong. (Appendix 1.4)

e. Students discuss in groups the challenges the Japanese Occupation posed on the British administration of Hong Kong.

f. Teacher consolidates and concludes the issue.

g. To prepare for the next issue, students are divided into groups and explore the assigned issues at home, each focusing on one time slot of the worksheet on the political changes after 1945. (Appendix 1.5)

4. Reflection

a. Learning activities should be conducted with the prior knowledge and experience of students in mind. Teachers need to find out what students know about the political and institutional changes in 20th-century Hong Kong.

b. Whenever appropriate, peer assessment can be arranged, each group comments on the other groups’ findings. The teacher then gives feedback by pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each group’s presentation.

Appendix 1.1

Brainstorming – Political development of Hong Kong in the 20th century

(To initiate student enquiry, teachers can connect students’ prior knowledge and experience to the issue to be explored. Teachers can find out how much students have understood from the topic by asking them to draw mind maps to represent their knowledge on the topic.)

How much do you know about the political development of Hong Kong in the 20th century?

Appendix 1.2

Activity cards

In this game there are twelve cards. Students should tell which cards show the structure (A) of British administration in Hong Kong in the 20th century, and which cards show the features (B) of the administration.

The Governor (A) / British monopoly of power (B)
Executive-oriented administration (B) / The Executive Council (A)
District administration (A) / Lack of elective elements (B)
Governor as the ‘core’ of power (B) / Limited participation of the Chinese (B)
The Legislative Council (A) / Crown-appointed governor (B)
Legal system & law enforcement (A) / Central government administration (A)

Appendix 1.3

Source study

How powerful was the Governor of Hong Kong?

Source A

The following paragraph is cited from the website of the Legislative Council, HKSAR.

From 26 January 1841 to 30 June 1997, Hong Kong was a British “colony” and its first constitution, in the form of Queen Victoria's Letters Patent entitled the “Charter of the Colony of Hong Kong” and proclaimed at the Government House on 26 June 1843, authorized the establishment of the Legislative Council and empowered “the Governor for the time being...with the advice of the said Legislative Council...to make and enact all such Laws and Ordinances as may from time to time be required for the peace, order and good government...of Hong Kong”. The Letters Patent of 1917, which replaced the 1843 Charter, added the significant words “and consent” after the words “with the advice”.

Source: http://www.legco.gov.hk/general/english/intro/hist_lc.htm

(Website of Legislative Council)

Source B

The following description is about the governor of Hong Kong.

The governor's powers and duties were defined in the Letters Patent and the Royal Instructions. The governor who was appointed by the Crown of England held the executive power in Hong Kong when it was under British rule, with an exception of a brief period of experiment after World War II.

According to Letter Patent, the governor had the veto power over all the bills. He appointed all the members of the Legislative Council and the Executive Council, judges and all Justices of the Peace. Until 1985, the governor appointed all the members of the two Councils, and dictated the agenda and decision-making of the meetings. In 1985, electoral system was first introduced, and to the Legislative Council.

Discussion

a. With reference to Sources A and B, examine the relationship between the Governor and the Executive and Legislative Councils.

n The Governor controlled the Executive and Legislative Councils. (Source A)

n The Governor, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council, made and enacted all laws and ordinances of Hong Kong. (Source A)

n Before 1985, all members of the Executive and Legislative Councils were appointed by the Governor. (Source B)

b. As reflected in Sources A and B, do you think that the Governor was very powerful?

n The Governor was powerful.

n The Letters Patent empowered the Governor. With the advice of the Legislative Council, he made and enacted all laws and ordinances of Hong Kong. (Source A)

n The Governor appointed most members of the Executive and Legislative Councils. (Source B)

c. What do you think was the limitation to the power of the Governor?

n The Governor was not all powerful.

n The consent of the Legislative Council must be sought to make and enact laws and ordinances. (Source A)

n The Governor was appointed by the British monarch. (Source B)

Appendix 1.4

Source study

Hong Kong under Japanese Occupation

Watch the movie clips and answer the following questions:

Hong Kong History Decode (ATV Program) (Hong Kong Version) , Episode 22, Part 2

Hong Kong History Decode (ATV Program) (Hong Kong Version), Episode 23, Part 1

1. With reference to the video clips, discuss the conditions of Hong Kong under the Japanese rule during the period 1941-1945.

Food shortage and rationing

Control over mass media and entertainment

Replacing the Hong Kong Dollar with the Japanese Military Yen

Poor livelihood

Censorship and political control

2. If you were a Hong Kong citizen at that time, would you welcome the restoration of British rule after WWII? Why?

(The answer is open.)

3. If you were governor of Hong Kong, how would you gain the support of Hong Kong people in face of the trend of decolonization and the failure to defend Hong Kong against the Japanese?

(The answer is open.)

Appendix 1.5

Major administrative changes from 1945 to 1997

Stage / Background / events / trends / Main trends of political
development
From 1945 to mid-1960s / § Trend of decolonization
§ Japanese occupation / § Introduction of election to district administration
§ Expansion of the civil service
§ Beginning of localization of the civil service
From mid-1960s to 1970s / § Social discontent
§ Riots in the 1960s / § Improving communication with the public through advisory bodies
§ Improvement in public services (e.g. ICAC, social welfare)
§ Increasing representation in district administration
From 1980s to mid-1990s / § Economic and political development
§ The 1997 issue / § Development of a representative government
§ Expansion of public service and localization of the civil service
§ Reforms in district administration
§ Setting up of the HKSAR, 1997

I. Modernisation and Transformation of Hong Kong

A. Political and institutional changes: Part 2 (1945-1997)

I. Modernisation and transformation of Hong Kong

A. Political and institutional changes

Part 2: 1945-1997

Enquiry questions:

1. What were Hong Kong’s major political and institutional changes in the period 1945 to 1997? Why did these changes happen?

2. Compare the administration of Hong Kong today with the British administration in the early 20th century.

No. of periods required:

6 (some double periods preferred)

Each period lasts for 40 minutes.

1. Background

a. The topic is to be introduced to S4 students.

b. Students should have developed some basic skills of chronological thinking, historical comprehension, empathy, enquiry, critical thinking and communication at junior secondary level.

c. Students should have acquired some basic knowledge regarding political and administrative changes in Hong Kong through S1–3 History curriculum or other related PSHE curricula such as “Integrated Humanities”, “Economic and Public Affairs” and “History and Culture”.

d. Students should have prior knowledge of the structures of the government of Hong Kong and its features in the early 20th century.

e. While making use of the materials presented in the textbooks, students will be asked to engage in various learning activities like group discussion, presentation and research.

2. Teaching objectives

Students are expected to acquire knowledge and develop understanding of:

a. the political and institutional changes of Hong Kong in the 20th century;

b. basic historical concepts, such as cause and effect, change and continuity, and similarities and differences;

c. the inter-relations of major events that shaped the main trends of political development in Hong Kong;

d. search for, select and synthesis information through various means, and consider ways of arriving at conclusions;

e. understand the challenges that the government faced in the past.

3. Strategies

Enquiry question 1:

What were the major political and institutional changes that occurred in Hong Kong from 1945 to 1997? And why did these changes happen? (5 periods)

a. Teacher explains briefly the different stages of political development after 1945.

b. Students are directed to explore the response of the Hong Kong government to the challenges of the Japanese occupation, based on the role-play card distributed. (Appendix 2.1)

c. Teacher explains why political changes took place after 1945.

d. Students present the findings on the major events and political development after 1945 stage by stage. (Appendix 2.2)

e. Teacher points out the inter-relations between various trends/events and concludes the features stage by stage. (Teacher can use teaching aids like video clips, sources, text and photos)

f. Students complete the whole table to illustrate the political and institutional changes, and the background leading to such changes. (Appendix 2.2)

Enquiry question 2:

To what extent did Hong Kong experience great political and institutional changes in the 20th century? (1 period)

a. Students compare the structure and the features of British rule in Hong Kong in the early 20th century with the present-day situation, and complete a comparison table. (Appendix 2.3)

b. Students are directed to explore concepts of change and continuity based on the comparison table.

c. An open forum on whether Hong Kong experienced fundamental changes politically in the 20th century can be conducted.

Extended assignment

Students complete the extended writing at home – “What were the features of British rule in Hong Kong in the early 20th century? To what extent did these features persist in the 1990s?” (Students may focus the discussion on the British rule.) (Appendix 2.4)

4. Reflection

b. Students should be directed to delineate the major trends and patterns of development in the period under study and to make links between major events through employing such historical concepts as cause and effect, change and continuity, and similarities and differences.

c. Whenever appropriate, peer assessment can be arranged and each group comments on the other groups’ findings. The teacher then gives feedback by pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each group’s presentation.

Appendix 2.1

Case study – What should be done by the government after the Japanese Occupation?

Role-play 1

Situation: / After the Second World War, the powers in Europe were weakened and they found it difficult to control their colonies in Asia and Africa. Meanwhile, nationalism was growing among the people in the colonies. Independent movements occurred throughout the British Empire. The trend of decolonization was widespread in Asia and Africa.
Since the British government had failed to defend Hong Kong against the Japanese, it was necessary to introduce some administrative changes after the war so as to regain its reputation.
Some people proposed a political reform with a view to winning the support of the Hong Kong people for the government.
Task 1: / Suppose you are Governor of Hong Kong after the end of the Japanese Occupation in 1945, present a speech to the British government to report on the situation and explain your suggestions.