Class boycott splits Anglicans and Catholics

Hong Kong's Catholics and Anglicans - two of the city's biggest education providers - are on opposite sides of the divide over how to handle a looming class boycott at secondary schools by pupils angry at Beijing's restrictions on democracy for the city.

While the Catholic diocese has told its schools not to penalise pupils for taking part in strikes from September 22, a leader of the Anglican Church warned pupils they would receive lower marks for conduct if they skipped class. The Catholic diocese runs 87 middle and secondary schools with more than 70,000 pupils, while the Anglican Church has more than 30 such schools.

"Of course we do not want to punish students … but it's common sense that those students should not expect an A for conduct," said Reverend Peter Koon, provincial secretary general of the Sheng Kung Hui, or Anglican Church. Fighting for democracy was not a "legitimate reason" to skip class and distributing leaflets or wearing the protest symbol, a yellow ribbon, would breach school rules, Koon said, adding: "We do not want to bring politics into secondary schools."

However, the schools would accept applications for a day's leave.

The different stances reflect a wider divide between the two churches. While Catholics have long played a key role in the democracy fight, Anglican archbishop the Most Reverend Paul Kwong is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and was criticised in July for urging activists to "remain silent".

Catholic schools have been told to make arrangements for pupils who join the boycott, though pupils have been told to seek permission from their parents to strike.

Cardinal John Tong Hon, head of the diocese, told the church newspaper Kung Kao Po he shared the feelings of Hongkongers worried about Beijing's limits on nominations for the 2017 chief executive election.