Education chief Christine Choi on Sunday said her bureau will beef up the teaching of the Constitution, Basic Law and national security for students as well as teachers.

Choi said it is only natural to know more about the country and to want it to do well, adding that people should have the self-consciousness to respect the country's system.

"We will update our curriculum, enhance our learning and teaching materials, [have] more teacher professional training, and more activities for our students to have knowledge about our country from different perspectives," Choi said after speaking on a Commercial Radio programme.

"They have life-wide learning experiences, first-hand information they collect, and they have reflection after their learning. So I don't think there's brainwashing."

The minister said her bureau will also fully sponsor a field trip to the mainland for every student, so that they can experience the country’s development for themselves.

Choi said it is only right to let pupils know more about the country, and that misinterpretations in the past had caused problems.

Students must learn about the history and characteristics of China's socialist system, Choi said, stressing that they must understand why it is suitable for the country’s 1.4 billion people.

When asked about ways to cope with a brain drain, Choi said Hong Kong has a structural problem given the low birth rate and "other factors" it faces, and some teachers, such as those in English and IT, are making career changes.

The minister stressed the government wants to offer a more stable school environment.

She explained that in recent years, it has been relocating students to different districts, while combining and closing schools in places with lower student intake.