The number of schools in Hong Kong which held flag-raising ceremonies to mark National Day falls to a 10-year-low

Only 56 per cent of 204 schools polled held the event on October 1, down from 79 per cent in 2018

Some education experts say schools should decide for themselves whether they want to resume the flag-raising ceremonies

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Students from Pui Kiu Middle School in North Point observing the national flag-raising ceremony in August. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 9:05pm, 30 Oct 2019Updated: 10:49pm, 30 Oct 2019

Only about half of the more than 200 schools polled held flag-raising ceremonies on National Day on October 1, the lowest since the annual survey started 10 years ago.

The Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, which conducted the survey, also said about 60 per cent of schools said they would reduce the number of student exchange programmes to mainland China, while some 21 per cent would consider singing the national anthem less frequently during assemblies.

Among the 204 polled schools - 66 secondary, 78 primary schools and 60 kindergartens - only 56 per cent said the flag-raising ceremony was held on National Day this year, compared with 79 per cent last year and 86 in 2017.

Fifteen per cent of the respondents said they did not hold any celebration activities at all, and 5 per cent of all those polled said they were worried that such events would bring adverse effects.

Wu Siu-wai, vice-chairman of Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers. Photo: Kathleen Magramo

"This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, but due to current political tensions in the city, activities celebrating Chinese nationalism in Hong Kong schools have dropped to a ten-year low. This is a worrying trend,” said Wu Siu-wai, vice-chairman of the federation.