A mass e-mail sent by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's office to company managers and academics defending the national education programme has received a chilly response.
The existence of the e-mail, which sought to rebut criticism that the subject amounts to brainwashing, came to light after staff posted Facebook messages saying their managers had received it.
Leung's office said the e-mail was sent on Monday as part of the government's usual practice of reaching out to various people in society, but it refused to disclose the number and identity of the recipients.
One person who did receive it, Chinese University political commentator Ivan Choy Chi-keung, described it as junk mail. 'The e-mail is apparently a mass propaganda e-mail,' he said. 'I do not think it will be useful in clearing doubts about national education.'
It said there was no need for teachers to avoid sensitive matters and that they could choose their course content freely.