Hong Kong educational facilities offered sweeping tips on bringing nationwide protection law into the classroom

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A flag-increasing ceremony at Pui Kiu Center School in North Place. Image: Nora Tam

Key details:

Reduced principal

” Find out how to sing and respectfully listen to the national anthem and observe flag-raising etiquette

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” Know the men and women and establishments guarding Hong Kong

” Study what the regulation is and the names of four major offences

Higher primary

” Master about campus stability as an analogy for national security

” Know the causes powering the enactment of the regulation and the state establishments associated

” Study about the great importance of the central federal government agencies in Hong Kong

Reduce secondary

” Understand the which means of national safety and the 13 areas involved as outlined by the point out

” Comprehend that legal rights and freedoms occur with duties

Upper secondary

” Discover about the chances and challenges confronted by the country on the earth phase

” Have an understanding of what constitutes the 4 main offences

Education authorities have issued sweeping rules to deliver Hong Kong’s faculties in line with the city’s national protection regulation, covering each and every facet of education from administration and educating to pupils’ behaviour even off campus, in a tricky campaign to wipe out protests and instil patriotism.

According to the controversial new framework declared on Thursday, the youngest pupils at principal level will have to learn the fundamental ideas of countrywide safety and identify the offences of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with international forces beneath it, even though more mature pupils should discover that current legal rights and freedoms are not unrestricted.

The overhaul, coming immediately after the anti-federal government protests of 2019 through which 1000’s of learners ended up arrested for crimes ranging from taking portion in unlawful rallies to road violence, encourages schools to report offenders and contact in police in scenarios deemed critical.

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A screen seize from a training movie introducing the different parts of the national protection law to pupils, supplied by the Education and learning Bureau. Image: Handout

The pointers, spelled out in seven files masking all grades, particularly instruct schools to ban any display screen of words and phrases or product close to campus that would represent an endangerment to national protection, reduce lecturers from approaching national security as a debatable matter, and bar outsiders from conducting pursuits on campus involving political propaganda.

Though community and governing administration subsidised educational facilities had to follow the programme, global and private schools ought to also refer to the pointers and devise approaches to support college students gain a right comprehending of countrywide protection, the Education Bureau’s documents mentioned.

Critics reacted with alarm, looking at the prescriptive guidelines as “white terror” and invasive micromanagement of education, while proponents reported they offered clearer steerage for educators.

A bureau spokesman stressed that the function of the law, imposed by Beijing very last June, was to protect against, stop and punish acts that endangered countrywide security, and educational facilities experienced an vital position to perform in reaching the 1st aim.

“(Educational facilities must) ensure all staff uphold qualified ethics, abide by the law and the behavioural norms suitable to culture, as properly as maximizing the avoidance and halting any illegal educating routines, even though having precautionary actions and managing any illegal pursuits taking place on campus,” he stated.

The training sector came below the highlight right after several college students were arrested for the duration of the anti-federal government protests. Adolescents had taken portion in road demonstrations, joined citywide course strikes, formed human chains outside faculty gates, as well as chanted and exhibited protest slogans on campuses. The pro-Beijing bloc has blamed educators for grooming disobedience.

Whilst nationwide safety would not be an personal matter, it would be taught via diverse topics these kinds of as typical research, Chinese record, civic training, geography, biology and music.

According to the instructing framework laid out in the recommendations, pupils as younger as six several years previous are predicted to understand about how the countrywide safety legislation was fashioned and its worth to the town, as nicely as recognize the offences. Learners in secondary faculty need to know what functions represent a breach of the legislation, the marriage concerning national protection and terrorism, war and colonialism, and “the country’s prospects and problems” in its participation in worldwide affairs.

The tips suggested instructors hold functions this sort of as puppet reveals, board games and competitions to foster understanding of the protection regulation, when pupils could stop by the office environment of Beijing’s foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong, as effectively as mainland Chinese metropolitan areas, to produce their nationwide identification.

Kindergarten pupils could in the meantime understand about traditional festivals, new music and the arts, and “build an passion for the Chinese customs” by storytelling, part-playing and other things to do, the paperwork mentioned.

Hong Kong’s biggest international school team examining curriculum following national security law’s passage

In circumstances exactly where college students were chanting slogans, singing political music on campus or exhibiting separatist elements, the faculty could seek advice from a law enforcement community relations officer if unlawful functions ended up suspected. But in a “grave or unexpected emergency scenario”, the police power ought to be notified immediately and furnished with aspects about the acts and suspects.

Instructors have to not address nationwide security as a “controversial problem” in conversations and need to strain “there is no place for debate or compromise”.

“No action need to be exploited for political propaganda or building a political assertion and no hatred or violence really should be promoted or expressed,” one particular document browse.

In scenarios when educators “fully commited any act of disrespecting the state”, management was suggested to give them guidance or a warning. If they have been suspected of breaking the countrywide protection legislation, law enforcement ought to be alerted. Universities should really also type operating teams or devote staff members to formulating and overseeing the new schooling effort.

Catholic Church tells its schools no home for any ‘one-sided political message’ in classroom

The 100,000-strong Qualified Lecturers Union’s vice-president Tin Fong-chak, a veteran secondary school instructor, claimed the recommendations had been stricter than anticipated and would influence instructor-scholar relations.

“The recommendations have long gone into so a great deal micro detail that the govt is actually getting whole control of the colleges on how they should manage countrywide protection-relevant concerns on campus,” he stated. Tin questioned regardless of whether the governing administration trustworthy educators’ potential to cope with the matter.

Banning “outsiders” from moving into the school for politically similar discussions would generate “white terror” on campuses, he warned.

“It is not uncommon for educational facilities to invite politicians, pan-democrats or activists from non-govt organisations to give talks to students,” he reported. “Would that cross the pink line now? College students would feel concern when chatting about nationwide protection.”

Exerting political stress on educational facilities will not make students extra patriotic

Hins Tsang, a Sort Six pupil

But Ho Hon-kuen, chairman of the professional-establishment concern team Training Convergence who is also a school manager at Elegantia Higher education in Sheung Shui, welcomed the in-depth guidelines as clear guidance for schools to comply with.

Ho also backed beginning national security education at the decrease quality amounts.

“Critics will of training course like to say it is brainwashing,” he explained. “But national safety is a very crucial strategy. Younger pupils should get to know some principles of it too.”

Hins Tsang, a Sort Six pupil and spokesman for the university student group Hong Kong Ideologist, warned the new recommendations went against constitutional legal rights.

“Exerting political pressure on universities will not make learners a lot more patriotic,” he stated. “The Primary Law guarantees that we have independence of speech, but now the pointers say there is one thing we cannot debate in faculties. How absurd it is!”

On banned publications or posters, Hins extra: “We would query if lecturers or college headmasters have the skill to judge regardless of whether a term or a phrase in a e book is anti-national security or not. Do we be expecting the universities to get in touch with the police to decide for them?”

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