Hong Kong teachers can still discuss politically sensitive events under new code, but must avoid uninformed comments: education chief
- Education secretary Christine Choi addresses criticism of revised professional code for sector, stressing that focus will be on learning goals for students
- She warns against discussion based on ‘so-called opinions by some people’, citing ‘developing incidents’ and the need for national identity
Hong Kong teachers can still bring up historical events such as the Tiananmen Square crackdown in class under a revised code of professional conduct as long as they do not make sweeping statements based on limited knowledge, the city’s education minister has said.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin on Saturday also dismissed criticism that new guidelines would limit teachers’ free speech on social media, and offered assurances that they had a right to voice objections but must refrain from indecent comments, spreading hatred and inciting pupils to join illegal acts.
Choi’s bureau introduced a set of what authorities said was a long-overdue revision of the code of conduct for teachers on Thursday, and suggested that educators could risk deregistration if they failed to promote national education and report potential illegal activities or “morally deviant information”.
They were also advised not to use teaching materials “misaligned with the Education Bureau and relevant guidelines”.
Choi said the government would not stipulate topics that were off-limits in class. What mattered, she said, was whether discussions were appropriate and could help achieve learning goals for pupils, given their time in class was “very precious”.
“People have been asking whether June 4 can still be taught, but actually the topic is also included in our curriculum,” she said, a reference to Beijing’s 1989 military crackdown on a student-led, pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square.
But Choi warned it would be detrimental to the development of pupils if teachers deliberately gave inaccurate or biased information, or made sweeping statements not grounded in facts.