LettersHow Hong Kong Education Bureau can do more to halt discussion of independence in schools

Bringing the subject into the classroom – even to point out that separating Hong Kong from China is not feasible – is best avoided

The Education Bureau must make monitoring and scrutinising schools its primary responsibility to avoid students being brainwashed by their teachers

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Permanent Secretary for Education Michelle Li and Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung meet the press at the government headquarters in Admiralty on October 6. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 6:45am, 12 Oct 2020Updated: 6:45am, 12 Oct 2020

A primary schoolteacher has been deregistered for allegedly promoting discussion of Hong Kong independence and will be barred from working as a teacher in the city for the rest of his life. The case has sparked a great deal of public discussion on this subject in recent days.

As Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung pointed out, the Education Bureau advised as far back as 2016 that the topic was not fit for discussion on campus. The Basic Law clearly stipulates that Hong Kong is an inseparable part of China (“Teachers told to steer clear of Hong Kong independence discussions”, October 6).

Mr Yeung also said that if independence were to be addressed at all, it should be to point out that “it is infeasible for Hong Kong to be separated from China”. I think the topic should not even be brought into the classroom.

The reason is clear – there is still the chance that some students might not agree, and the ensuing discussion might end up with arguments being made in favour of independence.