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Letters | Why Hong Kong students should not boycott class, no matter how bad the government is

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Chinese University students express solidarity with the protests of the past 12 weeks and rally support for a class boycott at the start of term, at the Sha Tin campus on August 28. Photo: Dickson Lee
I am writing in response to the report, “Hong Kong protests: students from 10 universities and more than 10 secondary schools expected to join class boycott” (August 22). While I am proud of those students, I don’t agree with them.

Students are a special section of society, representing new blood. Hong Kong is lucky to have so many earnest teenagers who are willing to fight for its future. I believe they will build a more glorious Hong Kong.

However, the mission of students is learning. They should not boycott classes to express their dissatisfaction. Moreover, their behaviour could affect other students, who do not join the boycott or hold different viewpoints. It could also be seen as a show of disrespect towards their teachers. Students should not give up studying, no matter how bad the government is.

This whole episode has demonstrated the incompetence of the Hong Kong government. Even teenagers, who may not have the most mature thinking, are aware of the government’s wrongdoing. I hope the government will respond to the protesters’ five demands as soon as possible.

Iki Lam, Tseung Kwan O

Schools have a duty to uphold freedoms

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