DSE Public Affairs tutor

2025-05-11

DSE Public Affairs — Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Subject Overview

Public Affairs is an elective social science subject in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE). It aims to develop students’ understanding and analytical skills regarding public policy, government operations, and social issues. The course integrates foundational knowledge from political science, economics, and sociology to help students grasp key public affairs concepts while fostering critical thinking and civic awareness.

Course Content and Assessment Scope

The Public Affairs curriculum is divided into compulsory and elective components, covering topics such as government structure, public policy, social issues, and international relations.

1. Compulsory Units (Core Content)

(1) Government and Political Systems

Hong Kong political structure: Separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches
China’s political system: National People’s Congress (NPC), Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), central-local relations
Comparative politics: Case studies of democracies, authoritarian regimes, and hybrid systems

(2) Public Policy and Governance

Policy-making process: Problem identification, formulation, implementation, and evaluation
Public finance: Taxation, public expenditure, fiscal budgeting
Social welfare policies: Comparative studies in education, healthcare, and housing

(3) Social Issues and Civic Participation

Social inequality: Wealth gap, social mobility
Environmental policy: Sustainable development and responses to climate change
Civil society: The roles of NGOs and social movements

(4) International Relations and Globalization

International organizations: United Nations, World Trade Organization (WTO)
Global issues: Human rights, terrorism, refugee crises
China’s global role: Belt and Road Initiative, Sino-US relations

2. Elective Units (Choose One of Four)

Public Administration and Management: Bureaucracy, public service reform
Law and Society: Rule of law, the Basic Law, human rights law
Economics and Public Policy: Market failure, government intervention
Media and Public Affairs: Media influence, challenges in the information society

Assessment Structure

Public Examination (80%)

Paper	Content	Weight	Time
Paper 1A	Multiple-choice questions (Compulsory units)	30%	1 hour
Paper 1B	Data-response questions (Compulsory units)	30%	1.5 hours
Paper 2	Essay question (Elective unit)	20%	1 hour

School-Based Assessment (SBA – 20%)

Project research: Students investigate a public affairs topic (e.g. “Effectiveness of Hong Kong’s Housing Policy”) and submit a report
Current affairs commentary: Analyze recent policies or social events (e.g. the controversy surrounding the Municipal Solid Waste Charging Scheme)

Grading Scale

From Level 1 (lowest) to Level 5 (highest). A Level 3 is generally the minimum requirement for admission to some local university social science programs.

Course Characteristics and Challenges

1. High Sensitivity to Current Events

Requires close monitoring of local and international news (e.g., Hong Kong’s Legislative Council reform, global climate agreements)
Exam questions often refer to real-life cases (e.g., the governance impact of the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement)

2. Interdisciplinary Analysis

Requires integrating political, economic, and sociological perspectives (e.g., poverty as both a welfare policy and economic structure issue)
Familiarity with theoretical frameworks (e.g., rational choice theory, systems theory) is expected

3. Strong Essay Writing Skills Required

Long-form questions must have clear structure (introduction, argument, evidence, conclusion)
Data-response tasks demand quick extraction of key information and linkage to course concepts

Study Tips

Read the news regularly: Follow diverse sources like Ming Pao, Initium Media, and BBC Chinese
Connect theory with cases: Summarize pros and cons of major policies (e.g., Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme)
Practice structured answering: Use the “PEEL” format — Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link
Choose electives strategically: Select based on interest (e.g., students aiming for law may choose “Law and Society”)

Comparison with Other DSE Subjects

Compared to DSE Economics: Public Affairs emphasizes governance and policy over market mechanisms
Compared to DSE History: Public Affairs analyzes contemporary issues, while History focuses on past events

This subject is ideal for students who are socially aware and aspire to careers in government, think tanks, media, or NGOs. It also strengthens critical thinking and civic literacy.

Disclaimer: The above information is for reference only. For official details, please visit the Hong Kong Education Bureau website:
www.edb.gov.hk/tc/index.html
This article is a draft written and compiled by AI. Edited by Professor Jonathan Chan. Chief Editor: Eric Kong.