Will national security law force exodus of Hong Kong’s teachers, students over fears of shrinking academic freedom?
- Rise in number of teachers resigning and students pulling out of school to emigrate, survey shows, as concerns over new ‘red lines’ grow
- Slew of directives to schools leaves some teachers worried about what they can and cannot teach now
Veteran primary school teacher Eva* will be leaving Hong Kong with her husband and child by summer to start a new life in Britain.
“My husband and I originally planned to send our child overseas while we continued working in Hong Kong, or maybe I would retire early and accompany our child there,” said Eva, whose child is in primary school.
She lamented that teachers now had limited autonomy in the classroom and that some educators were practising more self-censorship following guidelines issued by the authorities.
Schools and universities have been told to promote national security education among their students in keeping with the new law, which bans acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Eva, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, said many of her friends had been planning to leave over the past few months, and some had already gone, along with their families.