Hong Kong primary and secondary schools will soon receive a national education textbook that is published in mainland China and has been used in Xinjiang.

The Education Bureau on Monday said that the book, titled “My Home is in China,” would be sent to Hong Kong schools as reference material for an upcoming history quiz. The competition targets primary school students and is set to take place in April to “create an atmosphere for learning about Chinese history and culture.”

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung previously brought up the book in an interview with Chinese state media, saying that it would be meant as “supplementary teaching material.”

Schools would receive the book regardless of their students’ participation in the history quiz, the bureau said. Sources say copies are expected to arrive in schools next week at the earliest.

The book is edited by Tan Chuanbao, founder and director of the Center for Citizenship and Moral Education at Beijing Normal University. According to a press release issued by the center, “My Home is in China” was distributed in schools in southern Xinjiang in May 2018.

Activists and United Nations rights experts say at least one million Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang camps, where Chinese authorities are allegedly using torture, forced labor and sterilizations. China has defended the facilities as hosting vocational and anti-extremism training.

The book is described as a “high-quality national education reader specifically designed for teenagers” on an online platform, where it is sold for 350 yuan to 400 yuan (US$54 to US$61). The publisher claims that the book has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Lao.

Eddie Lam, principal of the Tseung Kwan O Methodist Primary School, said that he and his teachers would evaluate the content before deciding whether to incorporate it into the syllabus. It was difficult to judge the book before reading it, he said.

Fung Wai-wah, president of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, said that it was “very rare” for schools to distribute mainland Chinese teaching material.

He said that, despite reassurances from the minister Yeung about the supplementary role of “My Home is in China,” it was hard to shake the perception that the education authorities were placing emphasis on the book. Schools might feel pressured as a result, Fung added.

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