Letters | Why Hong Kong teachers held over protests need not lose their jobs

However, teachers might appear at demonstration sites not only to show their dissatisfaction with the government but also to show they care for their students, whom many of them treat like their own children. Many are there just to protect the youngsters, but may end up being charged with the same offences.

I do not think the suspension or dismissal of teachers by schools is the most effective way to deal with the situation. This is not to deny that those teachers being prosecuted could have had a great influence on their students. However, even though police have arrested many people since this social movement began, not all have been prosecuted or had charges laid against them. Therefore, if schools dismiss arrested teachers before they are prosecuted, it is a violation of the presumption of innocence, which is their right under the law.

Moreover, if the arrested teacher is ultimately not prosecuted, or is not convicted at their trial, firing them would be an unnecessary punishment.

I suggest that specific mechanisms be set up to deal leniently with innocent teachers who may have showed up at the demonstration site only because they wanted to protect their students, so that their schools do not dismiss them immediately once they have been arrested but not yet prosecuted.