EDUCATION, DEMOCRACY AND COLONIAL TRANSITION - THE CASE OF HONG-KONG

Among the main features of the decolonisation process in Africa, Asia and the South Pacific were widespread efforts by colonial authorities to introduce democratic forms of government. These efforts sought to prepare the territories for self-government and independence. In Hong Kong, the colonial era is coming to an end later than in other sizeable territories in the world, and the transition will not be to independence but to a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, This transition is planned to take place in 1997. Nevertheless, in the twilight of the colonial era the authorities are making strong efforts to promote democracy, and see the education system as an important instrument to help achieve this goal. This paper analyses the case of Hong Kong within the context of comparative literature, and shows how the Hong Kong experience requires adaptation of existing theories. It addresses both macro-level and school-level initiatives, and discusses the extent to which education is a useful instrument to achieve the overall objective.