CY Leung's Unrelenting Campaign Against Teachers

Leung Chun-ying is relentless in his bid to punish teachers

 

Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying is adding fuel to the divisive tensions in Hong Kong by publishing the names of 18 teachers who were arrested during last year's anti-government protests on his Facebook page today.

Culled from news reports, the list details as much information possible about the teachers' names, ages, details of their charges and in some cases the names of the schools. 

The Facebook post lists lots of details of teachers

While this information is already publicly available, collating them together seems particularly vindictive, though Leung argues this is the parents' right to know.  

Is that really necessary?

Leung, who is now a vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Consultative Congress, also criticized the Education Bureau, and the Professional Teachers' Union for depriving parents of knowing which teachers are involved in these protests.

Not only that, but his group 803 Funds Limited is seeking a judicial review to force Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung to make public the teachers' details.

Ip Kin-yuen, vice-president of the 100,000 PTU and an opposition lawmaker representing the education sector, on Tuesday slammed Leung's posting of the list as "unnecessary and full of hostility".

"As a public figure, and with the titles that [Leung] carries, how often have we seen people like him target the education sector in such a manner, both in Hong Kong or in mainland China, or even in other parts of the world?" Ip asked.

Leung also criticizes education minister Yeung

"Plus, he said the details he listed have already been made public previously. If they are already in the public domain, why does he need to list them out again?"

However, Wong Kam-leung, chairman of the pro-establishment Federation of Education Workers that has some 35,000 members, said the list made public would not adversely affect schools, but that teachers should act professionally and not let politics override their professionalism.

Nevertheless, Leung lashed out at education minister Yeung on Monday, questioning if teachers were allowed to broach the subject of Hong Kong independence in their classes.

Yeung replied should the topic come up, teachers should guide students to the conclusion that Hong Kong independence was impractical, and added schools should not include discussions about the subject in the curriculum.

Last year's protest by teachers in Central

But pro-Beijing heavyweight Tam Yiu-chung, the only Hong Kong member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said Yeung's explanation was "inaccurate", saying that independence should not be touched on at all, as it could put schools in violation of the new national security law. 

Everyone seems to want to dictate how Yeung should do his job. And why isn't his boss Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor defending him? Oh wait she's busy in Shenzhen placating her boss.

Educating young people should be a fulfilling vocation for teachers, but now Leung has made it like possibly stepping on political landmines, something he probably relishes. 

And for the record Leung's two daughters and son studied overseas in Britain.