Online Letters: rowdy students, testing times, animal rights and foul Hong Kong air

Rowdy students defied Christian heritage of Baptist University

A group of angry students stormed the Baptist University’s Language Centre to protest against a compulsory Mandarin test, then threatened and harassed its staff for more than eight hours. At one point, the student union leader swore at teaching staff present. That resulted in two students being suspended over the protest, for having breached the institution’s code of conduct and unacceptable behaviour.

As we know, Baptist University is a publicly funded tertiary institution with a Christian education heritage. As the university website states, it was first established as Hong Kong Baptist College in 1956 by the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong, as a post-secondary college committed to whole person education. In 1983, the college became a fully funded public tertiary institution. It gained university status in 1994 and was renamed Baptist University. It aims to become the region’s premier liberal arts university, delivering academic excellence, innovation and social progress.

As a Christian, an old man of 80, I was curious as to why the students of the university used foul language, or words considered offensive, in protesting at the Language Centre.

I urge Baptist University students, as well as teaching staff, to value the Bible and obey God’s Word. Because, in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Watch: Baptist University Mandarin test row boils over

May I exhort the students not to observe the sky from the bottom of the well? I believe students should master both Mandarin and English well. Because Mandarin is the professional language of the future and must be a priority for all Chinese, though knowing Cantonese is good, too.