Covid-19 Cases Could Jump Exponentially after CNY

There may be a spike in Covid-19 cases after Chinese New Year

The number of Covid-19 cases keep climbing in Hong Kong, with 142 cases recorded today, and 160 preliminary positive.

Most worrying are the untraceable cases with experts stunned as to how to track down their sources. And with the Lunar New Year public holidays coming to a close, in the next few days there could be a possible explosion of cases after people gathered with their families during the most important festival in the calendar.

Chuang (left) urges people not to meet for CNY

"We are worried because we may see hundreds or more cases as the Omicron variant is more transmissible. It poses a huge burden on the health care system," Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, of the Centre for Health Protection said today in the media briefing.

"We also have seen some airborne transmission reported from some family gatherings, and we urge people to stay at home."

In general this is true -- some families have opted not to meet up, while others have had muted gatherings. There are also reports of people receiving fewer laisee or lucky money than in previous years because they are worried about meeting people.

However, respiratory disease specialist Dr Leung Chi-chiu finds the number of untraceable cases worrying and suggests the government should hand out more fast-testing kits in the community, saying the city doesn't have the capacity to do large-scale testing.

But Chuang refuted this, saying the current lockdown of certain buildings was effective enough and that the authorities would continue to identify high-risk areas through confirmed cases and sewage tests.

Jeff Leung first senior official to get Covid-19

Of the new infections recorded today one was identified as Jeff Leung Wing-yan, Deputy Commissioner of Labour (Occupational Safety and Health). He is the first senior government official to be infected with the coronavirus.

In addition, people trying to get their business completed with government departments will have to be more patient, as the work from home arrangement will be extended for all 170,000 civil servants aside from those serving essential and anti-epidemic services until February 11.

As a result a number of government departments will limit services, such as inland revenue, labour, civil engineering and development, information services, building, drainage services, social welfare, and electrical and mechanical services, as well as the Housing Authority, Education Bureau, and Hongkong Post.

In the case of the last one, air mail stopped for many countries anyway, but this just shuts the city down even further.

Tonight the government issued another notice, concerned about Covid-19 spreading in Hong Kong.

Dr Leung suggests more testing kits to people

"The Delta and Omicron mutant strains are spreading in the community at the same time, posing unprecedented threat to Hong Kong," said a government spokesman. 

"The epidemic situation of the fifth wave may be more severe than that of the previous four waves. Members of the public are urged to stay vigilant, wear masks properly and get vaccinated as early as possible in order to greatly reduce the risk of falling seriously ill and death when infected. With the concerted co-operation of the public in fighting the epidemic, Hong Kong will surely overcome the current epidemic situation."

Sounds like a hunker down in the bunker kind of message...

Student Population Continues to Shrink

Some 6,200 students have left HK since the summer

There is a more accurate picture forming in the Hong Kong education system when it comes to fewer students attending schools.

Since the summer holidays, 6,200 pupils in primary and secondary schools have left, with districts having elite schools being hit the hardest.

Fewer students in Form Six quit school

The latest monthly figures were released on Friday by the Education Bureau, that showed there were 6,016 and 193 vacancies at primary and secondary schools respectively between August and the end of November.

The figures are generally interpreted as the number of students quitting government or subsidised schools. 

In November, 824 students left the public secondary school system. Some principals say it is rare for students to quit in the middle of the school term, which runs from September to December.

More than half of the withdrawals in November came mainly from Forms One to Three, while Form Six students, who will sit the university entrance exam next year, have the lowest number of dropouts at 65.

Kowloon City, which has more elite schools than the other 17 districts in Hong Kong, reported the highest number of dropouts in November, with 118 students from Forms One to Six.

Most of students leaving are from elite schools

Lau Chun-hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council, said the withdrawal trend was likely sparked by the wealthy and middle-class families, whose children studied in well-known schools and later emigrated. Districts that are less well-off have seen fewer students quitting.

The council will meet with the Education Bureau to discuss how to tackle the problem of a shrinking pupil population after gathering more information on applications for secondary school places in January, Lau added.

Dion Chen, chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, said almost all of the secondary schools needed to process withdrawal applications from students every month.

"The situation is [exacerbated] by the border reopening of some countries, such as Australia [which had been closed to foreigners amid the coronavirus pandemic]," Chen said, adding that more students were expected to withdraw after the term break. 

Chen says students are going overseas

Not only are students leaving but teachers too, which in a way evens out a bit. It's not like companies losing a bunch of employees and so employers try to entice people to stay with pay rises or more perks. It's an ongoing trend and the Education Bureau will probably have to close some schools unless the border between China and Hong Kong opens anytime soon...

New Teachers to Be Tested on Basic Law, National Security

Yeung says teachers may be tested on national security law

Anyone considering going into teaching in Hong Kong will have to know the Basic Law because they will be tested on it, says the Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung. This would apply to teachers for kindergarten and semi-private schools.

During a radio show, Yeung said ever year there are between 1,000 to 2,000 fresh graduate teachers for primary and secondary schools who would need to pass the new Basic Law test ahead of the new academic year in September 2022.

Public school teachers have already taken the test

"In the first step, we aim to [implement] the test across government-aided schools, because there are about 1,000 to 2,000 new recruit teachers there every year," Yeung said, referring to institutions largely funded and run by charity organizations.

"Then, we will continue to expand [the scope] to direct subsidy scheme (DSS) schools and kindergartens, and in the long run, teachers in other areas as well."

DSS schools are semi-private schools that charge tuition and receive government subsidies.

Basically that means every teacher that works in a school that has ties with the government will have to pass this Basic Law test. Public school teachers are considered civil servants and so they have already taken the test, which is a pass/fail.

"We have to work on national education, national security education, and we hope to foster students' national identity. Teachers have a role in guiding students and we expect them to have a certain degree of understanding of the Basic Law," Yeung said on Friday.

Yeung doesn't think flag raising taxing on teachers

When asked whether the exam might be expanded to include topics such as the national security law, Yeung said it would not be ruled out. 

Meanwhile, the education minister didn't think holding the flag-raising ceremony every week would be too taxing on teachers' workload.

He said the bureau is providing training and explanations on why this has to be done, and in any event more than 95 percent of primary and secondary schools have flagpoles already.

Sounds like someone who is ticking off his checklist in a diligent, precise manner.

Flying the Flag for National Education

Students to attend flag-raising ceremonies weekly from January

 

National education is being stepped up in Hong Kong starting on January 1, 2022 with schools having to hold the flag-raising ceremony at least once a week during the school term. Previously it was only for special occasions.

The Education Bureau released the circular on Monday though it made no mention of penalties for non-compliance, but that students who did not behave properly during the ceremonies should be stopped or removed from the venue.

It is hoped they will have greater national identity

The entire school must attend the event which is held on special occasions and on a weekly basis. For days like National Day, New Year's Day, and July 1, it's a public holiday -- so are students expected to return to school for the flag-raising ceremony?

Maybe that's why the bureau realized the flag-raising ceremony had to be held on days when students were in school...

There will also be a demand for more flag poles, as schools are asked to display the Hong Kong flag next to the Chinese one.

A bureau spokesman said the move aimed to "promote national education and help students develop a sense of belonging to the country, an affection for the Chinese people and enhance their sense of national identity."

Sounds like he was reading from a script.

International schools may join as well

The spokesman added that cultivating students' sense of national identity was one of the key learning goals of primary and secondary education, and also the educational obligation of schools.

Students are only missing the red scarves around their necks.

Meanwhile international schools are "encouraged" to also hold the flag-raising ceremonies.

"For the international schools in Hong Kong, as most of them have admitted local students, they are encouraged to refer to the requirements specified in the [circular], and display the national flag on each school day and conduct a national flag-raising ceremony weekly based on the actual school circumstances, so as to enhance local students' sense of national identity and deepen foreign students' understanding of the Chinese culture."

If international schools want to be in the government's good books, they know what to do...

 

 

Hong Kong's Student Population is Shrinking

At least 81 Primary One classes were cut this school year

 

In the latest count, there are at least 81 fewer Primary One classes in Hong Kong's public school system. With about 25 students in each class, that means around 2,000 pupils have either emigrated, switched into the private school system, or were mainland students taking Hong Kong classes online and dropped out.

Originally back in March, the Education Bureau released a report on primary schools, saying 66 classes would be cut in the 450 public primary schools in the city.

Many children may have migrated elsewhere

A representative of local principals said he expected the drop could be even bigger next school year, as those students across the border in China may quit taking online classes at Hong Kong schools if the border remains closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chu Wai-lam, chairman of the North District Primary School Heads Association, said his school has already received 20 percent less Primary One admission applications for the coming year.

"Moreover, if the border fails to open, some of the cross-border students who are now learning online will eventually quit school," Chu said. "So it's a double hit."

He believes it will be difficult to fill 3,000 Primary One spaces in North District for the following academic year.

The bureau released a statement noting that such a fluctuation "often reflects the overall changes in the population of school-aged students and its mobility", which includes emigration and people leaving the public school system for private ones.

Mainland students have quit online classes in HK

According to the bureau, 60,000 six-year-olds were eligible to begin Primary One this year. 

In July, official data showed more than 15,000 pupils had quit school in the 12 months leading up to October last year, a 2 percent drop in the primary and secondary school population, which was about 691,000.

Figures from the Census and Statistics Department last month showed a net outflow of about 89,200 residents since mid 2020, when Beijing imposed the new national security law.

The future of Hong Kong is shrinking day by day...

 

Education Chief Insists No Significant Drop in Pupils

School may have started but class numbers have plunged

 

The Hong Kong government continues to spin, spi,n spin, hoping the more they repeat things, the more they become fact.

A few days ago Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor insisted there wasn't a crackdown on civil society groups, only that the national security police are investigating them to ensure they aren't violating the law.

Yeung insists there is no big drop in pupils

But the reality is that many of the groups are attacked by pro-Beijing media, causing the organizations to disband as quickly as possible in a bid to avoid further trouble. But security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung says the authorities are already investigating the groups even if they are dissolving.

So is that a crackdown or not?

Today it's a quibble about the number of students in the city.

Schools have reported cutting the number of classes, but the Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung claims this does not mean there is a huge drop in pupils.

Official figures show 66 classes have been cut citywide, and with each class having about 25 students, that's about 1,600 spots that were cut.

Many have gone overseas in past year

The Education Bureau expects some 60,000 students starting in Primary One this year. 

"I think there is some misunderstanding on the figures... Does it mean we are seeing a significant drop in students? That is not really the case," Yeung told reporters.

"It does not actually reflect the forecast of the [number] of possible Primary One students. What we will be doing by the middle of the month is a headcount of the new Primary One students, then we will know better [if there is] any major change in the population or the number of students admitted to Primary One."

But primary school heads believed the number of classes were cut due to many families emigrating this year, particularly over the summer, prompted by the national security law.

Another reason is mainland students who used to cross the border everyday to go to school in Hong Kong, have dropped out after months of online classes.

Cross-border students have quit HK schools

In July, official data showed more than 15,000 students had quit school in 12 months, with nearly 691,000 students enrolled in primary and secondary schools as of October last year, down from more than the 706,000 registered in 2019.

Meanwhile, figures from the Census and Statistics Department last month showed a net outflow of about 89,200 residents over the year from mid-2020.

Yeung however did concede there has been an increase in people leaving Hong Kong recently and children of various ages are moving to other places.

So how can he say there hasn't been a drop in student numbers? Of those 89,200 people who left Hong Kong, many of them must be children...

 

Professional Teachers' Union Under Attack

Teachers protested against the extradition bill in August 2019

 

This morning Chinese state media like Xinhua and People's Daily launched a blistering attack on the Professional Teachers' Union, describing the pro-democracy group as a tumour that must be rooted out.

They blamed the union for events during the 2019 anti-government protests, saying some teachers and students participated in violent and illegal activities, and that it didn't play its part to educate and stop them.

The PTU advocates for better quality education

Xinhua also said in its commentary that the union had participated in filibustering in the Legislative Council, encouraged class boycotts and supported what they called rioters and teachers who are poisoning students' minds.

The articles were published after the PTU dropped its association with the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which used to organize the annual June 4 candlelight vigils, and has been accused by pro-Beijing figures of violating the national security law.

However, Xinhua said union's exit was merely a "trick to evade accountability" and added the PTU was "long-hidden dirt in the education system", having engaged in anti-China and anti-Hong Kong activities.

Xinhua said the Hong Kong government "should get rid of the union", calling the task "an unshirkable responsibility".

People's Daily added the PTU had nothing to do with education or professionalism and that it was a malignant tumour that needed to be eradicated.

PTU was founded by Szeto Wah in 1973

The union was founded in 1973 by the late pro-democracy politician Szeto Wah. Its mission is to be politically liberal, socially activist, and defend the legal rights of teachers. It focuses on improving education quality by promoting teachers' professionalism and advocating education policies.

Soon after, the PTU issued a statement to respond to the state media attacks, saying it had always opposed Hong Kong independence and had cared about the country's development ever since the union's establishment. It also refused the outlets' accusations that it was "inciting kids to break the law", during the 2019 protests, saying it cared about students' safety and never invited them to participate in any demonstration.

The union added it would continue to listen and communicate with different sectors, and keep up its education work.

But that defense argument wasn't enough and the Hong Kong Education Bureau severed its ties with the union, and stripped it of its status as a professional group. 

The PTU, which has 95,000 members, expressed disappointment and regret over the decision on Saturday, saying it would be a loss to the whole education sector.

Days ago PTU withdrew from the alliance

A government source hinted the move to cut ties with the union was in the works and believed the PTU withdrawing from the alliance was a bid to relieve some pressure, but it was obviously not enough.

As a result of cutting its ties with the PTU, the bureau will no longer regard the union as a professional body, and will neither engage in any formal or informal meetings with it, nor take its opinions on matters pertaining to the sector. 

In addition, the bureau will temporarily stop looking into any cases referred by the union, and will review its advisory bodies and other groups with an eye to removing members who represented the PTU.

The union said it handled over 3,000 complaints and inquiries from members every year, and that the bureau's decision failed to take into account teachers' interests and welfare.

"The union has a positive impact on safeguarding workers' rights and bettering policies. Even though we have different views, if the bureau decides to cut ties with the union, it will be a loss to the whole industry," it said.

Education Bureau cut ties with the union today

Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's sole delegate to China's National People's Congress, said the central government had disliked the union for some time for its participation in political affairs. 

"Instead of serving as an educational professional body, it's been more like a political group throughout the years," Tam said. "It does not matter whether the union is historical, it's more of whether it's an opposition force."

This should be a warning to other professional bodies in Hong Kong -- dissenting voices will not be tolerated.

HK's Student Population Plunges as Families Leave

Students marked National Education Day on April 15

  

There is more news that thousands of students have left Hong Kong this past academic year, though the government seems to be in denial about it.

A survey by the Professional Teachers' Union found a quarter of schools have reported more than 20 of their students left the city since September.

Fung (left) says thousands of students have left

PTU finds the figures alarming, and attributes them to parents' concerns about the national security law, as well as changes to the education system, particularly the controversial liberal studies subject.

"The government needs to acknowledge and directly address this issue," said Fung Wai-wah, president of the pro-democracy PTU, one of the city's main teachers' unions.

This month 183 primary and secondary schools were polled and found about 25 percent, or 47 institutions had more than 20 students withdraw during the 2020-21 academic year.

More than 70 percent of the schools reported between one and 20 students leaving. Just three schools reported no students dropping out.

Around 52 percent of the schools, or 96 of those surveyed said about half or more of their students withdrew because they were emigrating or pursuing studies overseas, but the poll did not ask the institutions to give specific reasons why the pupils left Hong Kong.

Parents are concerned about academic freedoms

"We believe some reasons could include the increased challenges as well as political tension and interference faced by the education sector... The security law could be one of the reasons as well," Fung said, adding the government should not "turn a blind eye to the issue" and address it.

According to data released by the Education Department last month found roughly 19,300 students or 3 percent of the total student population dropped out this academic year, compared to 10,400 the previous year.

Of the pupils who left this academic year, 5,280 were from private and international schools, the other 14,000 from local schools.

The implementation of the national security law last June has raised concerns among parents and teachers over shrinking academic freedom, as now children as young as six years old must now learn about the four offenses under the law -- subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Students 6 years old learn national security law

When Beijing officials says students should have a patriotic education, for many parents, the horror stories of the Cultural Revolution come to mind and they would rather their children be educated elsewhere. 

So what will the Hong Kong government do about the fast plunging numbers of students and teachers? Not everyone is eager to become patriotic...

Teacher De-Registered for Factual Errors

Teacher at Ho Lap Primary School was de-registered last week

A primary school teacher who was de-registered last week for making up historical facts, has countered that history was not his subject, and that he was actually hired to teach English and computer skills.

It was discovered on his online teaching video he told the class that Western powers waged the Opium Wars in the mid-19th century to rid China of opium when in fact Europeans traded silk, tea and porcelain for opium from India.

Teacher was wrong about Opium War

It was just one sentence in a 15-minute video, in which he talked about Hong Kong's handover to China and the SAR and national flags.

The Education Bureau said last week that the teacher at Ho Lap Primary School had to be de-registered permanently because he had made serious mistakes by inventing historical facts. 

But when talking to the media today, the teacher -- who only had one year's work experience -- felt he was sacked because the authorities wanted to deal with him "politically".

"This whole matter was politicized. I feel resigned. I never imagined that making a mistake over a short history passage could cause the Education Bureau to de-register me. It was just a minor passage," the teacher said.

"I think the whole matter sends a chilling effect, other teachers may feel nervous."

The authorities added that in another video for general studies, the teacher told the class that paper was invented in ancient China to ensure that tortoises didn't become extinct because people were using their shells to write on.

Again this is an erroneous point, but the teacher told reporters he was only trying to to teach in a humorous way, and made corrections right away when the school discovered problems with his videos.

He added he wanted to apologize to the students and parents for his mistakes.

Paper wasn't invented to replace tortoise shells

Definitely the teacher made factual errors -- but de-registering him is an extreme form of punishment. Why not give him a verbal or written warning? After all, history is not his expertise, though admittedly he should have been more careful about teaching the facts.

Nevertheless, he is appealing the decision with the help of education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, who accuses the authorities of bowing to pressure from the pro-Beijing camp to de-register the teacher.

The whole incident makes all teachers in Hong Kong nervous. With most classes now taught remotely, the lessons are all recorded and so the authorities may be screening many of them to make sure they are politically correct...

We can thank the pandemic for accelerating the Education Bureau's scrutiny of teachers and punishing them so brutally. 

The government's war on teachers is its bid to weed out bad ones from influencing students to stand up to authority. Yes Hong Kong only needs compliant students. That's how the city is going to be competitive and international.

Not.

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.

Education Bureau's Witch Hunt

The teacher taught at Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong

 

The Hong Kong government continues its repression of anyone who actively participated in last year's protests, and in particular targeting teachers.

Today it was announced a Primary 5 teacher was struck off the register of teachers for his teaching materials that "seriously harmed" students at Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong.

He was the first teacher to be deregistered for professional misconduct, as teachers are typically struck off the register for criminal convictions.

Michelle Li says teacher advocated independence

In a press conference this afternoon, education officials claimed the teacher was spreading separatist messages and asked pupils if they agreed with Hong Kong independence.

Apparently the lesson plan involved 50 minutes discussing the Hong Kong National Party and the Societies Ordinance, under which the separatist group was banned in 2018 on national security grounds.

Then the students were told to spend 35 minutes discussing independence for Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. 

However students only spent two out of 23 hours on the above lesson plan, which focused more in freedom of speech than advocating independence.

But officials pounced on this particular lesson for severe punishment.

"It is a very serious case with a premeditated plan to spread a pro-independence message," said Permanent Secretary for Education Michelle Li Mei-sheung, calling the scheme "biased and twisted".

Ip says bureau too quick to accuse teacher

However, education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen says unlike other professionals, such as doctors and engineers, teachers were not given the right to an oral hearing before having their registration removed. The teacher was only able to give his side of the story in writing.

 What's more, Ip added, officials relied on written materials, including worksheets and a lesson plan, rather than receiving a full picture of what happened in the classroom.

"We have to observe the lessons," Ip said. "I think I am quite experienced in observing lessons, because I am a former College of Education lecturer, and I have been observing many, many lessons and we have to look at both the lesson plan and also the actual delivering of the lessons.

"So we cannot ignore the actual delivering and just look at the lesson plan. This is a major mistake they [the Education Bureau] have made this time."

Later the media found the school had conducted its own investigation and found the teacher was not advocating independence. What's more is that he only drafted the lesson plan and did not teach it. Not only was the teacher from the school stripped from registry, but also the principal and vice-principal were reprimanded, and three other teachers were given warning letters.

Yeung's children were educated in Australia

If the teaching material was as Li purports it to be, the Education Bureau has used this teacher as an example to scare the rest of his colleagues into submission. Was it an instruction from Beijing or proactively done to please its masters we may never know, but the witch hunt is here and will continue to "weed out" bad apples.

Meanwhile, it should be reminded that Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung's children were educated in an international school and later studied overseas in Australia...

 

 

CY Leung's War on Teachers

Leung Chun-ying wants to out teachers in last year's protests

 

Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying continues his war against teachers and the Education Bureau, demanding the bureau publicize the names of teachers convicted during last year's protests and their schools of employment.

Leung claimed the Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung was evading his duties in at least six Facebook posts in the past three days.

Teachers taking part in a protest last year

But in two rare rebuttals, the bureau denied it had avoided the issue, saying it had "seriously followed up" each of the misconduct complaints against teachers "even in the face of challenges".

However Leung felt the bureau was not taking a hard enough line on dealing with the problem.

"On such a major issue of right and wrong, is this a responsible response? It is a shame for an official to avoid responsibilities," Leung wrote in one of the posts targeting Yeung, who was his undersecretary for education between 2012 and 2017.

Between June 2019 and this year, the bureau completed initial investigations in 180 out of the 222 protest-related complaints involving teacher misconduct. There are 117 cases believed to have been involved in wrongdoing.

Of those 117, half have been followed up on, with 17 teachers issued reprimand letters and nine given warning letters, both of which could result in the loss of their teaching registration again if they commit another misconduct again.

Yeung says bureau follows procedures on teachers

Another 19 teachers were given advisory letters or verbal warnings.

However, Leung doesn't think this goes far enough.

"How is it unfair for schools [to have their names publicized]? If so, is it fair for parents when they are being kept in the dark?" he asked.

However, Yeung has kept his ground. 

"All decisions we made are based on facts, teachers' professional conduct and the impact on students," Yeung said. "We would follow all procedures, so that no one will be wrongly found guilty or let off the hook."

Finally a voice of reason in a bid to tame Leung's rabid determination to punish anyone related to the anti-government protests last year.

Seems like Leung is hell-bent on two things: trying to make Yeung's professional life miserable, and scoring more political points with Beijing. Leung is already vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and considered an elder statesman in Hong Kong. 

Most of us have moved on from the protests with other things to worry about other than which teachers participated or not. 

Was this student influenced by teachers?

But Leung doesn't seem to want to let go of the matter, doing anything he can to discredit Yeung. This fixation on the issue is only terribly unproductive and reveals how he is making a mountain out of a molehill...