National education fears reflect Hong Kong's lack of faith

As the fight against national education shifts from the streets to the schools, many fear that our children may still be in danger of being brainwashed. To the estimated 100,000 protesters who occupied Tamar, chief executive Leung Chun-ying's pledge not to make national education compulsory during his term was a victory, but an incomplete one. The fight is not over against national education and that dirty little "b" word - brainwashing.

But what does "brainwashing" even mean? If it means influencing people to think a certain way, then brainwashing is nothing new. It was around long before Leung took office and it will remain a part of education, and life, long after his term ends.

Before we told schoolchildren to love China, we told them to love Jesus. There are currently 276 Catholic schools and kindergartens in Hong Kong. In these schools, about 200,000 children are taught religion from very early ages. Is this not a form of brainwashing?

Besides religion, many children in Hong Kong are brainwashed to believe that success in life is defined by material goods, that chores are for helpers and that their school is the best. I once had to break up a fist fight between two students over whose school was the best in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kong children think Harvard is the best university in the world. My son thinks that if a computer is not a Mac, it's not a computer. He didn't get that from me; he's been brainwashed by his school's undying devotion to Apple.

So what? Is brainwashing really that bad? I was brainwashed as a child; it did not ruin my education. Growing up in the US, I was made to say the pledge of allegiance every day and sing the national anthem. I learned about the heroic deeds of Christopher Columbus and US presidents (only to realise much later the many atrocities committed). This did not impair my ability to think critically and independently in secondary school or higher education. Similarly, many people who go to religious schools leave as agnostics.

The protesters fear national education not because of brainwashing but because of the subject of such brainwashing - China.

At the core, Hong Kong people don't want to be told to love China. They don't even like China. Recent reports show that mainland buyers account for as much as 40 per cent of new-home sales here, thereby pricing out Hong Kong citizens. With statistics like this, what's there to love? The fact that we're going to rent forever? A recent poll conducted by the University of Hong Kong showed that the number of people who saw themselves primarily as Chinese - as opposed to Hong Kong citizens - had plunged to a 13-year low.