Hong Kong lawmakers launch ‘blood-stained’ TSA paper protest over student suicide tragedies
Education secretary Eddie Ng is grilled in Legco over his bureau’s response to recent deaths
Furious lawmakers threw “blood-stained” exam papers for the much-criticised Territory-wide System Assessment at the education minister after Wednesday morning’s special Legislative Council session addressing recent suicides among young people, saying he had neglected the well-being of students.
Education chief Eddie Ng Hak-kim was grilled at the meeting over what lawmakers said was a lack of action by the Education Bureau to come up with concrete changes for an education system that was a source of stress and pressure for students, parents and teachers alike.
WATCH: Lawmakers trail Eddie Ng waving ‘blood-stained’ exam papers
More than 20 lawmakers questioned Ng, who responded with information he had delivered earlier in the day.
League of Social Democrats lawmaker “Long hair” Leung Kwok-hung and People Power’s Albert Chan Wai-yip and Ray Chan Chi-chuen called Ng a “heartless minister” as they followed him out of the chamber waving stacks of TSA exam papers, stained blood-red.
The three hurled the papers at the minister as he entered the government offices next door.
Legislators at the council meeting peppered Ng with criticism over what they said was inaction by the bureau in light of the recent tragedies, including failing to launch a review of the “over-competitive” education system and its role in increasing the stress felt by students.
The TSA for Primary Three children has been met with much criticism from schools and parents for creating an excessive amount of preparation in the form of drills.
READ MORE: In the wake of student suicides, let’s give Hong Kong’s troubled youth some hope, rather than more despair
“You’ve kept on quoting what you’ve always been doing ... as if the recent suicides have nothing to do with the education system,” said education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen. “Many of the suggestions made, like more life coaching and counselling support ... are added pressure and workload on teachers and the schools, who are stretched as it is.”
Responding to the questions, Ng said suicide was a complicated matter that usually had many intertwined causes. He said students now faced less stress as their public exams had been cut to one instead of two.
READ MORE: Students’ suicide posts on Facebook prompt calls to update Hong Kong’s traditional counselling strategies
There were also more options after graduating secondary school with the “large number” of post-graduate study options at various institutions, he said.
Ng said a task force had been set up to discuss the issue, with a report due out in six months, and possibly an interim report in three. He said emergency meetings last week yielded five immediate measures including establishment of the task force.
He agreed that more time and opportunities should be given to students to express their opinions and thoughts, and said the bureau was looking into what would be the best channels for them to do so.
Later in the day however after the meeting had ended, Ng fired back on social media, calling the actions of lawmakers in the chamber “unnecessary”.
“This time they threw ‘blood-stained’ exam papers as a political show. It’s worrying as these ‘bloodstained papers’ they specially prepared could cause discomfort and fear for students,” Ng wrote on Facebook.
