Hong Kong national security law: 80 per cent of city’s schools say guidelines for instilling patriotism in children are hard to implement

Name: Hong Kong schools mark first National Security Education Day under security law imposed by Beijing
Uploaded: 2021-06-06T09:15:31.000Z
Duration: 5 min 11 s
Description: Hong Kong schools mark first National Security Education Day under security law imposed by Beijing

Survey by pro-government Shine Tak Foundation finds little more than half of city’s schools ready to teach national education

Education Bureau needs to give teachers more time to prepare and provide better training, charity’s vice-chairman says

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Pupils watch the Chinese national flag being raised at Gertrude Simon Lutheran College, in Yuen Long, during National Security Education Day on April 15. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Zoe Low

Published: 5:15pm, 6 Jun 2021Updated: 11:13pm, 6 Jun 2021

Nearly 80 per cent of Hong Kong schools have said new guidelines for instilling patriotism in children were very difficult to implement, a survey has found, prompting calls for more time and training for teachers.

The survey of 218 schools, which was released on Sunday by the pro-government Shine Tak Foundation, found a little more than half of the kindergartens, primary and secondary schools they polled were ready to teach national education.

“We noticed that almost 80 per cent of the schools said there is a certain level of difficulty in teaching national security education,” Tong Sau-chai, the charity’s executive vice-chairman, said. “Among the reasons for this could be a lack of understanding of the matter, or they may need more time to read up on the new syllabus frameworks provided by the Education Bureau.

“And of course there is also a portion [of teachers] who are worried they may be teaching the wrong thing,” he added. “We hope the bureau can give teachers more time to prepare in addition to providing them with training opportunities, and give teachers enough assistance in their relevant subjects.”

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Hong Kong schools mark first National Security Education Day under security law imposed by Beijing

Under the national security law, which came into effect last June and targets acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, Hong Kong schools and universities are required to promote national security education on campus.