ABSTRACT
Since the 1980s, in response to the rising panic about the deteriorating standard and declining competitiveness, various initiatives have been proposed to reform the educational system in Hong Kong. The restructuring aims not only to improve the quality of education, but, as the speech of the Chief Executive cited above implies, it signals the coming of a new social order and a new citizenry. Some studies have already expressed concern about the changes on exacerbating social inequalities, especially the different access to good quality education by students of different classes. However, thus far, few have examined the effects of these changes on citizenship and on gender relations and identities, or have questioned the desirability and accessibility of the ideal citizenry constructed in schools. Drawing on insights from critical and feminist studies, this chapter attempts to fill these gaps and expand the educational critiques by problematizing the actual making of (gendered) citizens in schools through the lived experiences and subjectivities of young schoolgirls.
