Education minister supports university president's snub of students with protest symbol
Eddie Ng supports symbolic withholding of degrees from those with protest emblem
Education minister Eddie Ng Hak-kim has voiced his support of a university head's controversial refusal to hand degree certificates to graduates who carried yellow umbrellas at their graduation ceremonies.
Ng said he appreciated the decision by Baptist University president Professor Albert Chan Sun-chi.
Chan came under fire for withholding certificates on Saturday and Monday from students who came on stage bearing the symbol of the Occupy protests. He accused the students of not respecting the ceremony.
The students will still receive their official degrees.
Asked to comment yesterday, Ng backed Chan's approach.
"He is … respecting the students and emphasising the big principles," Ng said.
"I hope students can … respect the ceremony, respect themselves and others, as well as behave responsibly."