diff --git a/lib/accesslib.php b/lib/accesslib.php
index 5e01fa175e6..b2d18f55124 100644
--- a/lib/accesslib.php
+++ b/lib/accesslib.php
@@ -5521,9 +5521,11 @@ abstract class context extends stdClass implements IteratorAggregate {
      *      type of context, e.g. User, Course, Forum, etc.
      * @param boolean $short whether to use the short name of the thing. Only applies
      *      to course contexts
+     * @param boolean $escape Whether the returned name of the thing is to be
+     *      HTML escaped or not.
      * @return string the human readable context name.
      */
-    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false) {
+    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false, $escape = true) {
         // must be implemented in all context levels
         throw new coding_exception('can not get name of abstract context');
     }
@@ -6225,9 +6227,10 @@ class context_system extends context {
      *
      * @param boolean $withprefix does not apply to system context
      * @param boolean $short does not apply to system context
+     * @param boolean $escape does not apply to system context
      * @return string the human readable context name.
      */
-    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false) {
+    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false, $escape = true) {
         return self::get_level_name();
     }
 
@@ -6484,9 +6487,10 @@ class context_user extends context {
      *
      * @param boolean $withprefix whether to prefix the name of the context with User
      * @param boolean $short does not apply to user context
+     * @param boolean $escape does not apply to user context
      * @return string the human readable context name.
      */
-    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false) {
+    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false, $escape = true) {
         global $DB;
 
         $name = '';
@@ -6671,9 +6675,10 @@ class context_coursecat extends context {
      *
      * @param boolean $withprefix whether to prefix the name of the context with Category
      * @param boolean $short does not apply to course categories
+     * @param boolean $escape Whether the returned name of the context is to be HTML escaped or not.
      * @return string the human readable context name.
      */
-    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false) {
+    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false, $escape = true) {
         global $DB;
 
         $name = '';
@@ -6681,7 +6686,11 @@ class context_coursecat extends context {
             if ($withprefix){
                 $name = get_string('category').': ';
             }
-            $name .= format_string($category->name, true, array('context' => $this));
+            if (!$escape) {
+                $name .= format_string($category->name, true, array('context' => $this, 'escape' => false));
+            } else {
+                $name .= format_string($category->name, true, array('context' => $this));
+            }
         }
         return $name;
     }
@@ -6903,9 +6912,10 @@ class context_course extends context {
      *
      * @param boolean $withprefix whether to prefix the name of the context with Course
      * @param boolean $short whether to use the short name of the thing.
+     * @param bool $escape Whether the returned category name is to be HTML escaped or not.
      * @return string the human readable context name.
      */
-    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false) {
+    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false, $escape = true) {
         global $DB;
 
         $name = '';
@@ -6917,9 +6927,18 @@ class context_course extends context {
                     $name = get_string('course').': ';
                 }
                 if ($short){
-                    $name .= format_string($course->shortname, true, array('context' => $this));
+                    if (!$escape) {
+                        $name .= format_string($course->shortname, true, array('context' => $this, 'escape' => false));
+                    } else {
+                        $name .= format_string($course->shortname, true, array('context' => $this));
+                    }
                 } else {
-                    $name .= format_string(get_course_display_name_for_list($course));
+                    if (!$escape) {
+                        $name .= format_string(get_course_display_name_for_list($course), true, array('context' => $this,
+                            'escape' => false));
+                    } else {
+                        $name .= format_string(get_course_display_name_for_list($course), true, array('context' => $this));
+                    }
                }
             }
         }
@@ -7126,9 +7145,10 @@ class context_module extends context {
      * @param boolean $withprefix whether to prefix the name of the context with the
      *      module name, e.g. Forum, Glossary, etc.
      * @param boolean $short does not apply to module context
+     * @param boolean $escape Whether the returned name of the context is to be HTML escaped or not.
      * @return string the human readable context name.
      */
-    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false) {
+    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false, $escape = true) {
         global $DB;
 
         $name = '';
@@ -7140,7 +7160,11 @@ class context_module extends context {
                     if ($withprefix){
                         $name = get_string('modulename', $cm->modname).': ';
                     }
-                    $name .= format_string($mod->name, true, array('context' => $this));
+                    if (!$escape) {
+                        $name .= format_string($mod->name, true, array('context' => $this, 'escape' => false));
+                    } else {
+                        $name .= format_string($mod->name, true, array('context' => $this));
+                    }
                 }
             }
         return $name;
@@ -7401,9 +7425,10 @@ class context_block extends context {
      *
      * @param boolean $withprefix whether to prefix the name of the context with Block
      * @param boolean $short does not apply to block context
+     * @param boolean $escape does not apply to block context
      * @return string the human readable context name.
      */
-    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false) {
+    public function get_context_name($withprefix = true, $short = false, $escape = true) {
         global $DB, $CFG;
 
         $name = '';
diff --git a/lib/form/questioncategory.php b/lib/form/questioncategory.php
index 8ebe1d0fd7f..32455d58e59 100644
--- a/lib/form/questioncategory.php
+++ b/lib/form/questioncategory.php
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class MoodleQuickForm_questioncategory extends MoodleQuickForm_selectgroups {
             $this->_options = $options + $this->_options;
             $this->loadArrayOptGroups(
                         question_category_options($this->_options['contexts'], $this->_options['top'], $this->_options['currentcat'],
-                                                false, $this->_options['nochildrenof']));
+                                                false, $this->_options['nochildrenof'], false));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/outputcomponents.php b/lib/outputcomponents.php
index b6277cb1cf8..2cee5ad463d 100644
--- a/lib/outputcomponents.php
+++ b/lib/outputcomponents.php
@@ -1853,6 +1853,8 @@ class html_writer {
     /**
      * Generates a simple select form field
      *
+     * Note this function does HTML escaping on the optgroup labels, but not on the choice labels.
+     *
      * @param array $options associative array value=>label ex.:
      *                array(1=>'One, 2=>Two)
      *              it is also possible to specify optgroup as complex label array ex.:
diff --git a/lib/questionlib.php b/lib/questionlib.php
index 8c89e043a86..b703fe71096 100644
--- a/lib/questionlib.php
+++ b/lib/questionlib.php
@@ -1222,7 +1222,7 @@ function add_indented_names($categories, $nochildrenof = -1) {
 function question_category_select_menu($contexts, $top = false, $currentcat = 0,
         $selected = "", $nochildrenof = -1) {
     $categoriesarray = question_category_options($contexts, $top, $currentcat,
-            false, $nochildrenof);
+            false, $nochildrenof, false);
     if ($selected) {
         $choose = '';
     } else {
@@ -1386,10 +1386,11 @@ function get_categories_for_contexts($contexts, $sortorder = 'parent, sortorder,
  * @param int $currentcat
  * @param bool $popupform
  * @param int $nochildrenof
+ * @param boolean $escapecontextnames Whether the returned name of the thing is to be HTML escaped or not.
  * @return array
  */
 function question_category_options($contexts, $top = false, $currentcat = 0,
-        $popupform = false, $nochildrenof = -1) {
+        $popupform = false, $nochildrenof = -1, $escapecontextnames = true) {
     global $CFG;
     $pcontexts = array();
     foreach ($contexts as $context) {
@@ -1410,7 +1411,7 @@ function question_category_options($contexts, $top = false, $currentcat = 0,
     $categoriesarray = array();
     foreach ($pcontexts as $contextid) {
         $context = context::instance_by_id($contextid);
-        $contextstring = $context->get_context_name(true, true);
+        $contextstring = $context->get_context_name(true, true, $escapecontextnames);
         foreach ($categories as $category) {
             if ($category->contextid == $contextid) {
                 $cid = $category->id;
@@ -1468,14 +1469,15 @@ function question_add_context_in_key($categories) {
  * Finds top categories in the given categories hierarchy and replace their name with a proper localised string.
  *
  * @param array $categories An array of question categories.
+ * @param boolean $escape Whether the returned name of the thing is to be HTML escaped or not.
  * @return array The same question category list given to the function, with the top category names being translated.
  */
-function question_fix_top_names($categories) {
+function question_fix_top_names($categories, $escape = true) {
 
     foreach ($categories as $id => $category) {
         if ($category->parent == 0) {
             $context = context::instance_by_id($category->contextid);
-            $categories[$id]->name = get_string('topfor', 'question', $context->get_context_name(false));
+            $categories[$id]->name = get_string('topfor', 'question', $context->get_context_name(false, false, $escape));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/upgrade.txt b/lib/upgrade.txt
index 95d16e8785f..a97b146615e 100644
--- a/lib/upgrade.txt
+++ b/lib/upgrade.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 This files describes API changes in core libraries and APIs,
 information provided here is intended especially for developers.
 
+=== 3.9.7 ===
+* The signature of the get_context_name() function in the abstract class context and all extending classes (such as context_course)
+  has been extended. The new parameter allows the to get the name without escaped characters.
+* The signature of the question_category_options() has been extended. The new parameter allows the to get the categories name
+  in the returned array without escaped characters.
+
 === 3.9.6 ===
 * The behat transformation 'string time to timestamp' no longer supports datetime format. If provided, the format must
   be strftime compatible. Example:
diff --git a/question/classes/bank/search/category_condition.php b/question/classes/bank/search/category_condition.php
index c2a40088854..18e275690cd 100644
--- a/question/classes/bank/search/category_condition.php
+++ b/question/classes/bank/search/category_condition.php
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class category_condition extends condition {
      */
     protected function display_category_form($contexts, $pageurl, $current) {
         echo \html_writer::start_div('choosecategory');
-        $catmenu = question_category_options($contexts, true, 0, true);
+        $catmenu = question_category_options($contexts, true, 0, true, -1, false);
         echo \html_writer::label(get_string('selectacategory', 'question'), 'id_selectacategory', true, array("class" => "mr-1"));
         echo \html_writer::select($catmenu, 'category', $current, array(),
                 array('class' => 'searchoptions custom-select', 'id' => 'id_selectacategory'));