Chinese emblem must fly higher than all others under new flag-raising guidelines for Hong Kong international schools
- Education Bureau to encourage daily and weekly flag-raising ceremonies among city’s institutions offering non-local curriculums
- Ceremonies will help international students to ‘understand the culture and history of the country in which they live’
International schools in Hong Kong will have to raise the Chinese national emblem higher than any other country’s symbol during flag-raising ceremonies, education authorities have said.
At the Legislative Council on Friday, the Education Bureau also said the national flag would have to be placed in the centre of any others raised.
Deputy Secretary for Education Teresa Chan Mo-ngan said during a bills committee meeting on amendments to national flag and anthem legislation that the bureau had a responsibility to issue guidelines to all schools regarding daily or weekly ceremonies.
“If international schools want to display the national flags of other countries, they must also raise the national flag of the People’s Republic of China at the same time,” she added. “The Chinese flag must be placed in a higher or prominent position in the centre.”
International schools offering non-local curriculums would be encouraged to have ceremonies, the bureau said.
According to Chan, the ceremonies would “help students of different nationalities and races to understand the culture and history of the country in which they live”.
“The Education Bureau encourages international schools, and other private or self-funded kindergartens, primary and secondary schools that provide non-local curriculums to reference local schools to raise the national flag daily, and to have flag-raising ceremonies every week,” Chan said.
Hong Kong has more than 50 international schools, with the International Baccalaureate, British and American schools system among the popular curriculums on offer across kindergartens, and primary and secondary institutions.
The Post contacted several international schools on Friday for comment.
Education authorities have issued sweeping guidelines to bring schools in line with the city’s national security law, bringing elements that foster national identity into the classroom.
Turning Chinese flag upside down to be banned under new law
The overhaul came after the anti-government protests of 2019 during which thousands of students were arrested for crimes including taking part in illegal rallies, where the Chinese national flag was also vandalised.
Under the bill amendment, tertiary institutions such as vocational schools and universities must also display the national flag every day, and hold flag-raising ceremonies every week.
The bill proposes to ban people from “publicly and intentionally desecrating the national flag or national emblem by burning, mutilating, scrawling on, defiling or trampling on it or its image”.
Amendments to the legislation have been introduced to include education on the national flag and national emblem, which would require the authorities to give directions to schools about “the daily display of the national flag and the weekly conduct of a national flag-raising ceremony”.
Kindergartens would also be given a government subsidy of HK$3,000 to buy flagpoles, national flags and other equipment for ceremonies.
