Occupy Central a no-go area in class, Eddie Ng warns

The education minister yesterday urged schools not to encourage their pupils to take part in Occupy Central - which he deems "unlawful" - in a reversal of the stance he declared last year.

The civil disobedience campaign for democracy is also the trigger behind a warning that a pro-establishment group has issued to more than 500 secondary schools, reminding them of their legal responsibilities.

Teachers and democracy advocates saw the latest remarks by Education Secretary Eddie Ng Hak-kim as an attempt to create fear and put pressure on schools to eschew discussion of the movement.

Ng said: "We appeal to chairpersons of school boards, principals, teachers and parents … not to take part in or arrange for pupils to join the unlawful Occupy Central. It's impossible for [the campaign] not to break the law."

He warned teachers they might be putting their jobs on the line. "Teachers should obey the law. If they are convicted because of participation in unlawful events, they must face ... consequences for their careers."

In March last year, Ng said schools should let pupils "develop their own thoughts" on Occupy and "will not take any retrospective action against teachers" who took pupils to join it.