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.

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...

 

Teachers' Union Forced To Disband

This afternoon the PTU said it had no choice but to disband

 

Just over a week after Chinese state media declared the Professional Teachers' Union "a malignant tumour" that had to be removed, and the Hong Kong government cut ties, the group, which has 95,000 members, announced it had no choice but to disband.

At a hastily arranged press conference, PTU president Fung Wai-wah said: "In recent years there have been big changes to the social, political and economic environments.  Especially in recent weeks, the situation has become worse. As of now, we do not see a future... We have decided to disband. We shall start the process of disbanding."

Lam at 45th anniversary of PTU, now has cut ties

Founded 48 years ago by the late Szeto Wah, the union decided to call it quits after education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Saturday urged Hong Kong teachers to "thoroughly rethink" their relationship with the PTU, and said his bureau would no longer recognize it as a professional organization.

In addition the police commissioner said the force would "definitely investigate" the union for any potential national security violations.

"We have gone through, with many residents, Hong Kong's historic moments," Fung said. "We face huge pressure. Although we have tried to find new ways to continue our work, we regret that we have failed to find a workable option to ease the crisis this time.

"We aim to disband in an orderly and reasonable manner. We shall call an extraordinary members'  meeting... We hope to take care of the rights of some 200 staff members... make financial arrangements and dispose or properties and assets properly."

PTU's two supermarkets were busy today

The union is a large group that gives lots of benefits to teachers, from two supermarket for them, to discounts on school supplies, even travel agent services, insurance, even medical and dental clinics -- practically a small ecosystem of its own. What will happen to all the staff running these businesses? The PTU also owns several properties that Fung said would take time to sell off.

And just like that another opposition-leaning group is eliminated. According to AFP, this is the 33rd political or professional group that has disbanded since June 30, 2020. It is also the oldest group to dissolve so far.

The relentless pace at which the government is dismantling civil society and grassroots groups is blindingly fast, shocking and difficult for many to fathom. Where it ends, no one knows, only that it is ongoing.

Teachers, Students Should get Jab

Yeung said teachers who aren't vaccinated need to get tested

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung has stated teachers who are not vaccinated must undergo Covid-19 testing every two weeks so that students can have full-day learning at school come September. 

He said the government will survey schools this month to check their vaccination status to decide how to proceed when the school year starts. 

Those who currently must get tested every two weeks are those have not yet been vaccinated or cannot get the jab for medical reasons include workers in care homes, restaurants and construction sites.

14 percent of students got one dose or a booking

"We are considering whether we can require all teachers and staff who can't be vaccinated... to be tested regularly to allow more school activities to be done," Yeung said on a radio program today, noting officials were looking into whether to make the arrangement compulsory.

"If around 70 to 80 percent of students in a school have been inoculated, they are prepared for more learning activities. If several teachers cannot be vaccinated for several reasons... are they obliged to undergo regular testing so these activities can proceed?"

He said he believed between 30 to 40 percent of teachers were vaccinated, while the government says 14 percent of students between the ages of 12 and 15 had received at least one dose or booked a vaccination appointment.

Medical experts have said if 70 to 80 percent of the people in school are vaccinated, then full-day face-to-face classes can resume. Those inoculated can also be exempted from wearing masks in school.

However, Fung Wai-wah, president of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, did not support the proposal.

Students as young as 12 can now get the jab

"The prerequisites of full-class resumption should not be based on mandatory testing or vaccination," Fung said. "Mandatory testing is not that helpful, as it does not guarantee one is disease-free."

He also said vaccination should be voluntary. "Requiring teachers to undergo mandatory testing if they are not vaccinated is indirectly forcing them to get jabs," Fung said.

While Fung is correct that a test every two weeks is not necessarily helpful in detecting someone with Covid-19, getting vaccinated is something everyone who doesn't have any serious health issues should do.

While vaccinations are voluntary, if people want Hong Kong's economy to improve, then then must get vaccinated, plain and simple. Even if there aren't tourists coming in yet, residents must get the jab in order for life to return to greater normalcy.

But when it comes to students, their parents maybe hesitant about their children getting vaccinated, and some students may be secretly relieved not to get the jab so that they can continue attending half days at school!

As a result, schools may not be going back to regular programming when September rolls around, which means Yeung and his department will have to think of other incentives to get teachers and students vaccinated...

Currently 31.35 percent of Hong Kong residents have had at least one shot, 20.94 percent are fully vaccinated.

How Liberal can Teachers be in Revamped Liberal Studies

Yeung lets teachers decide whether to discuss sensitive topics

 

The Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung is still vague about what teachers can teach pupils in the revamped liberal studies class now called "Citizenship and Social Development". He said teachers could use their professional judgment to decide whether or not to bring up certain topics in the classroom.

The revamped subject will have three modules instead of six, and will focus more on China's development, the constitution, the Basic Law, and the Rule of Law. All teaching materials, as expected, will be vetted by the government.

Yeung vague about teaching Tiananamen massacre

When asked whether teachers should worry about potentially breaching the national security law when they teach the new curriculum, Yeung said people generally don't have to worry about breaking the national security law if they love the country.

So loving the country gives you immunity from the national security law?

He also wasn't clear when it came to the question of whether teachers could still teach topics like the Tiananmen Square massacre and the Cultural Revolution.

"I think in the schools' teaching and learning, teachers have to follow the curriculum framework, and also achieve the objectives of the curriculum. But within that framework I think there is still flexibility for the teachers to exercise their professional judgement to amend some of the materials to cater for the different needs of the students."

How flexible, Mr Yeung? Can you spell out what that really means?

New curriculum focuses on national security

"In terms of any particular subject or issues whether they could discuss or not, I think that involves the professional judgment of the teacher," he continued. "As long as it is within the curriculum framework and also it could meet the curriculum objectives and it's suitable for the age group of the students, I think it should be okay."

It's still not clear, but Yeung seems to be throwing it back at the teachers to figure out where the red lines are. As head of the education bureau he's hardly making teachers' jobs any easier, but more politically tense. This added pressure is hardly necessary.

In any event it's the students who lose out on general knowledge they need to know about their motherland, warts and all.

Liberal Studies to be Liberally Revamped

 

Secondary students will have revamped liberal studies next year

The Hong Kong government is trying to shape the education of the next generation, by not giving them the opportunity to freely analyze and assess current affairs in their hometown as well as China, as well as further develop their critical thinking skills.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung announced late this afternoon that the subject of liberal studies will get a new curriculum, new grading and even a new name. 

Yeung says the course will be renamed

He said all teaching materials would be vetted by the government, and the existing curriculum would be slashed in half "to reduce the pressure on students". The material will put more emphasis on the country's development, the Basic Law and rule of law.

Meanwhile how students will be assessed will be revamped from the original seven-grade scoring system to a pas or fail.

Also as part of the course, students must make a trip to the mainland, though there are no details yet on where, for how long, and what they are expected to get from the visit, let alone the cost.

Yeung claimed the name of the course had to be changed because liberal studies had a "negative stigma" associated with it.

"We observed over the years, there are a lot of... usually not so good connotations with the name. As we are now going to refine the subject, we are now trying to make the subject have a new start. We think it is more appropriate to have a new name," he said.

Right...

The curriculum will be vetted by government

Liberal studies was first talked about during the first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's administration back in 2000, and was finally implemented nine years later.

It is currently compulsory for senior secondary students who want to go on to university. 

Originally the aim of liberal studies was to enable students to develop multiple perspectives on contemporary issues, help them to become independent thinkers and learn a range of skills, including critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.

But now the pro-Beijing camp, and ironically Tung himself, are highly critical of the course, saying it influenced students to participate in the 2014 umbrella movement that exercised civil disobedience, and then five years later the anti-government protests that later evolved into violence.

However, outgoing education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen described the government's decision to overhaul the subject as "abrupt" and made out of "political considerations".

"I think they are trying to cut down the emphasis on the study of current issues and also the ideas of critical thinking, independent thinking would not be emphasized so much," Ip said.

Ip says the revamp is a political decision

He also pointed out the contradiction that the government wanted to lighten the students' workload and yet they had to make a trip to the mainland as part of the course.

"This is the time when the students are in their examination years, so their schedule for studying is already very intense, so how can the students spend a long time in a field trip in the mainland," Ip asked. "And also the teachers will have to do a lot of things to prepare for the trip... why are they adding the extra things?"

Whichever way the education secretary tries to spin it, everyone knows it is a political decision to get Hong Kong students to be more appreciative of the mainland. There is nothing wrong with learning more about China or even going there, but there also needs to be a healthy dose of skepticism which is an important element in learning in general.  

But no, the Hong Kong government, and by extension Beijing wants to nurture a new generation of compliant citizens and think this is the way to do it.

Good luck.

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...

Sowing Seeds of Confusion

Lam says the public has the wrong understanding of the Basic Law

Hong Kong's alternative reality continues with the government pushing through its version of how the city should be governed versus what people have lived with since July 1, 1997.

Yesterday Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung explained that liberal studies textbooks removed references to Hong Kong having a separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary, and that it would be wrong for textbooks to suggest that it does.

Yeung says textbooks weren't changed due to political pressure

He rejected suggestions that the changes were made due to political censorship, and that publishers were not instructed on what should and should not be included.

But he insisted the content be factually accurate, adding the SAR has never had a separation of powers, neither before nor since the handover.

"As a matter of fact, some of the concepts now included in the textbooks are much more accurate than before," he said.

That raised a lot of eyebrows because this totally goes against what Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li said back in 2014:

"The Basic Law sets out clearly the principle of the separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, and in quite specific terms, the different roles of the three institutions," he said in a speech.

However, today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor defended and reiterated Yeung's statements in her weekly media briefing.

The new liberal studies textbooks have amended content

"There is no separation of powers in Hong Kong, so I fully support the remark made by Secretary for Education, and I fully support him in the textbook consultation services launched. In the process we'll be able to better explain the constitutional order in Hong Kong," she said.

"Every so often someone will make this a topic -- whether there is separation of powers in Hong Kong -- they will cite some well-known persons or judges but there is nothing clearer than the Basic Law," Lam said.

Huh???!!

She added people have the wrong understanding of the Basic Law.

"I have carefully looked at what people from the legal sector said; they are mainly talking about the division of labour, of course in terms of trials and the judicial system, they can act independently," Lam said.

Compare the changes to previous liberal studies textbooks

"This is about the division of labour in terms of their functions under the Basic Law; if you look at the relations amongst the three powers, of course they would perform their duties and carry out their functions, I do agree that there are checks and balances, I can give you a lot of examples."

Are we all talking about the same Basic Law?

Legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang remarked that if Lam's interpretation of the Basic Law is that there is no separation of powers, then the rulings by the top court are all wrong, and that the Court of Final Appeal should clearly explain this to everyone.

"The courts have always referred to and relied on the separation of powers as the fundamental principle when it comes to dealing with all kinds of cases, concerning the rights of Hong Kong residents, the constitutionality of legislation, and the legality of executive decisions," he said.

"So, for Carrie Lam as the Chief Executive to now come out and say that there's in fact no separation of powers in Hong Kong is a joke," Kwok said. "It's ludicrous, and it's an offense to the common sense of the Hong Kong people."

Kwok says people have not misunderstood the Basic Law

He dismissed Lam's comment that people misunderstood the Basic Law, and accused the government of changing its stance to please Beijing.

Kwok also cited an article written by Basic Law Committee member Albert Chen Hung-yee in 2018, which said the courts in Hong Kong have stated that the separation of powers is "an important and indispensable constitutional principle embedded in the Basic Law".

Lam and her administration are trying to sow seeds of confusion, perhaps in a bid to justify the need for the national security law? To make Hong Kong lawyers unnecessary? To undermine the Basic Law?

But her audience is highly skeptical of what she and her officials are doing. There has still been no authoritative explanation of how the national security law interfaces with the Basic Law, only that it exists and a separate judicial system is set up to deal with cases -- a small number -- we were constantly told.

Chow on the evening she was arrested under the NSL

One of them, Agnes Chow Ting, went to the Tai Po Police Station today about the extension of her bail. She was asked to give a new statement with regards to her arrest under the national security law, but did not disclose more details to the media three hours after she entered the police station.

Chow has not yet been charged with anything, but has to report back to the police station on December 2, a day before her 24th birthday.

She hopes to celebrate her birthday at home...

School Starts September 23

Hong Kong students can finally start the academic year in late September

The Hong Kong government has finally announced that schools will resume face-to-face classes in phases starting on September 23.

In a press conference today, Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said students entering Primary Five, Primary Six, Form Five and Form Six, as well as those starting primary or secondary school, and final-year kindergarten pupils, will be the first to return to class.

Yeung said the pandemic situation was improving

Then on September 29, those pupils in Form Two to Form Four, Primary Two to Primary Four, and kindergarten children in K1 and K2 will return to the classroom.

He said this as Hong Kong recorded nine new coronavirus cases today to a total of 4,810.

Yeung said students who needed make-up classes could do so from September 15-22, provided the number of students did not exceed one-sixth of the student population.

"As the local pandemic situation improved recently, we believe it is now suitable to allow schools to start preparing to resume face-to-face classes in phases from late September," he said.

International schools will follow a similar schedule.

If teachers or students are infected with the virus, individual schools may close, following consultation with the Centre for Health Protection.

Will this be what a classroom looks like next month?

Again like other government officials, Yeung used the opportunity to encourage everyone to participate in the community-wide testing that starts tomorrow and over 500,000 people have registered online.

But if students are allowed to go back to school on September 23, why can't Hongkongers vote in the Legislative Council election? Even Yeung admits the pandemic situation has improved.

It is more and more obvious why the election was "postponed"...

Singing Can Get You into Trouble

Students form a human chain to protest a teacher's sacking

These days singing a song can you get you into trouble with the authorities.

Students at Heung To Middle School in Kowloon Tong formed a human chain outside their school in protest of a music teacher who was fired for letting some students sing Glory to Hong Kong before an exam.

The students also chanted slogans and criticized the school authorities for not renewing the teacher's contract, accusing them of spreading "white terror".

Students said the teacher was politically neutral

A large group of police officers showed up an hour after the protest started, around 1.30pm and warned the students of not obeying social-distancing rules. The protest, which was also supported by some alumni, broke up soon after.

One of the students said the popular teacher had taught at the school for 12 years and did not demonstrate any particular political leaning.

The teacher wrote an email to students and teachers saying her contract would not be renewed, and did not give a reason why.  

Meanwhile the school sent out an email to parents, saying it was a "patriotic school by tradition", which guides the students to "love the country and identify themselves as Chinese".

One of the students who sang at the exam said the teacher didn't stop them from choosing the song, but to choose it carefully, and if any students felt uncomfortable about the song could leave the room.

Yeung warns of "political propaganda" in schools

This is the first school to face the pressure of having to deal with the situation should students participate in "political propaganda".

Yesterday Education Secretary Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said students should not sing songs on campus that are "political propaganda", and that it would be left to schools to decide what should and shouldn't be allowed.

He had earlier sent a letter to schools,

saying students should not boycott classes, shout slogans in schools, form human chains, put up posters, or sing songs with political messages.

The school could have punished the students, but instead chose to fire the teacher; either way it sends chills to students and staff that the school means business.

And then this evening hundreds of protesters gathered across the city ignoring social distancing regulations to also sing Glory to Hong Kong, and shout slogans, only to have police aggressively pounce on them. Police say 35 people were arrested, and one pro-Beijing man attacked protesters with a knife and was subdued.

Protesters out in force in Causeway Bay tonight

These people are being repressed from exercising their freedoms enshrined in the Basic Law -- freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

Pretty soon Hong Kong will become a silent city, where no one dares to speak out. How can anyone have confidence in a society like that?

HK Government's "White Terror" Aimed at Educators

Thousands showed up at Edinburgh Place to protest the Education Bureau

The Hong Kong government is now putting pressure on teachers and principals to get into line when it comes to the anti-government protests.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung told state media outlet the Shanghai Observer last Saturday that the government had the power to disqualify principals who were deemed unsuitable for their jobs. He also said principals should investigate teachers who are found to be using inappropriate teaching materials, to making hate-inciting or discriminatory remarks online.

Yeung says principals must ensure teachers are investigated

If the principals do not investigate these teachers, then the principals could be stripped of their positions and teachers' qualifications.

The Professional Teachers' Union, which represents 85 percent of teachers in the city, has traded barbs with the Education Bureau since December about how teachers have been treated in cases linked to anti-government protests.

In response to Yeung's latest announcement, the PTU says this amounts to "white terror", though Yeung denies this, saying principals should investigate based on facts.

A massive rally was held in Edinburgh Place in Central on Friday night, with thousands shouting slogans such as "Say no to white terror" and "Educators, unite as one".

One teacher who gave her name as Sugar at the rally said she was angry that many colleagues faced complaints and suspensions in recent months for expressing their personal views on social media.

Another secondary school teacher surnamed Yuen in his 40s has taught science for more than 20 years. He believed the Education Bureau was "threatening principals" when it said they could be removed from their positions if they didn't cooperate with investigations on teachers.

Protesters are angry at the bureau's "white terror" at educators

"When there were previous cases of principals abusing their power, the [bureau] had not said they would use their powers to suspend the principals. But now, when there were no such cases of principals not cooperating with the bureau's investigation, the bureau has mentioned that power," he said.

So far 80 teachers and teaching assistants have been arrested in connection with the protests, and the bureau has received 123 protest-related complaints against educators, with 13 confirmed as wrong-doing cases. Some complaints centered around online comments by teachers.

Meanwhile the union has accused the bureau of not giving teachers a chance to defend themselves against the charges before being notified that their cases have been substantiated.

Union president Fung Wai-wah has said the bureau was "spreading white terror" and the government was blaming teachers for encouraging students to go on the streets to protest.

However the bureau accused the union of loss of professionalism...

This threat by Yeung is unprecedented and it's the government's attempt to stop young people from going on the streets.

But what if the child's parents are the ones taking them to the protests? How is it the fault of the teachers?

Beijing has also hinted the need to revisit national education again, and for sure Hong Kong parents and educators will put up a fight on that front too...