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Hong Kong national security law (NSL)
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Students from Pui Kiu Middle School in Hong Kong’s North Point observe the national flag-raising ceremony on campus. Photo: Nora Tam

Hong Kong schools under the national security law: no political songs, slogans, human chains, but what else is prohibited?

  • Blueprint spells out details, making clear that national security is beyond debate, and even telling schools when to call police
  • Elements of national security will be taught in various subjects, no child is too young to learn
In a tough new campaign to eliminate protests and instil patriotism, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau released sweeping guidelines on Thursday to bring the city’s schools in line with the national security law. They cover every aspect from management and teaching to the behaviour of students even when they are off campus.

The government wants six-year-olds in primary school to learn the fundamental concepts of national security and be able to name the offences of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces covered by the law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing last June.

Older students are expected to learn that existing rights and freedoms are not unlimited, and appreciate the challenges faced by Beijing in the ongoing US-China trade war. The roles and responsibilities of teachers are also spelled out.

Here’s what you need to know about the road ahead for Hong Kong pupils, teachers and schools.

1. Why did the Education Bureau issue these guidelines?

Under Article 10 of the national security law enacted last June 30, Hong Kong is expected to promote national security education in schools and universities and through social organisations, the media, the internet and other means. This is to raise awareness among Hong Kong residents of national security and their obligation to abide by the law.

The Education Bureau issued the guidelines on safeguarding national security and national security education less than two years after anti-government protests rocked Hong Kong through the second half of 2019 and shocked China’s top leadership.

Students were drawn into the months of social unrest and thousands were arrested for crimes ranging from taking part in unlawful assemblies to street violence. Teenage schoolchildren boycotted classes, formed human chains outside their schools, and chanted political slogans on campuses.

The bureau’s guidelines cover all grades and aim to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment in schools and raise students to become law-abiding citizens with a sense of belonging, who feel affection for their country.

Students form a human chain in protest at the height of the anti-government movement in 2019. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

2. What do the guidelines cover, and do they affect all schools?

The guidelines show how schools can instil the national security concept through various subjects, and remind them to forbid any political or illegal materials and activities on campus that endanger national security or breach the city’s laws. Public and government subsidised schools must implement the programme and file progress reports to the bureau.

International and private schools that offer non-local curricula are expected to refer to the guidelines and come up with ways to help their students gain a correct understanding of national security and the provisions of the law. But these schools will not have to submit work plans or annual reports to the bureau.

All measures recommended by the bureau are expected to be implemented by 2022-23.

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Hong Kong students boycott class on first day of school as police patrol MTR stations

Hong Kong students boycott class on first day of school as police patrol MTR stations

3. What will be banned, and what happens if there are violations?

For starters, the guidelines make it clear that “as far as national security is concerned, there is no room for debate or compromise”. So teachers are barred from approaching national security as a debatable matter, and are expected to teach students that safeguarding national security is the responsibility of all citizens.

Nor should teachers allow their own political stance to affect their teaching, mislead their students or put across negative or wrong values to them. Educators who commit “any act of disrespecting the country” should be advised to stop or given a warning. If they are suspected of breaking the national security law, the police should be notified.

Students will not be allowed to sing songs, chant slogans, form human chains, display or wear anything that carries political messages on campus. If students flout the rules, schools must stop them, and may consult the police community relations officer or file a police report in case of an emergency.

If students force their peers to express their political stance or support certain views, teachers must remind them there is zero tolerance towards bullying and the campus is not a place to pursue political aspirations.

Schools must also advise students not to take part in illegal assemblies or activities outside the campus. Outsiders, including politicians and activists, will be banned from conducting activities involving political propaganda on campus.

The guidelines make clear there is ‘no room’ for debate, even in classrooms, over the national security law. Photo: Dickson Lee

4. How can schools include national security in different subjects?

National security will not be a stand-alone topic, but incorporated into subjects such as general studies, Chinese history, civic education, geography, biology and music.

Six-year-olds can learn what the law is, identify the four offences, and learn the Chinese anthem during music lessons. Upper primary pupils may explore campus security as a way to understand national security. Lower secondary students should understand that national security is governed by the central government, and learn about sovereignty in geography classes.

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At upper secondary levels, students will get a grasp of acts that breach the law, the relationship between national security and terrorism, war and colonialism, and learn about China’s efforts to contain infectious diseases as well as conservation of nature.

To make lessons fun, teachers can run activities ranging from puppet shows to board games and competitions. To help children develop their national identity, students can visit the Chinese foreign ministry’s Hong Kong office, the Hong Kong Museum of History, and go on trips to mainland cities.

Kindergarten pupils are not left out either. The bureau suggests teaching them how Hong Kong is part of China and shaping their identity as Chinese. They can learn about traditional festivals, music and the arts, and “develop an affection for Chinese customs” through storytelling, role-playing and other activities.

5. Are the guidelines compulsory? What happens if schools do not comply?

A bureau spokesman stressed the national security law aims to prevent, stop and punish acts that threaten the country’s security, and educators had an important role in achieving the first goal – prevention.

So schools should “ensure all staff uphold professional ethics, abide by the law and the behavioural norms acceptable to society”, he said. They should also prevent and stop any unlawful teaching activities, implement precautionary measures and handle any unlawful activities that occur on campus.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said on Friday that schools could be held responsible if they ignored or failed to stop students from violating the law, as inaction could be seen as consent for students to carry on. He did not say what the consequences might be.
The security law was imposed on Hong Kong last June, a year after the city was gripped by months-long social unrest. Photo: Sun Yeung

6. How have stakeholders reacted to the guidelines?

Critics reacted with alarm, condemning the guidelines as “white terror”, but supporters said schools now have a clearer idea of what is expected.

Tin Fong-chak, vice-president of the 100,000-strong Professional Teachers’ Union, said the guidelines were more stringent than expected and would affect the relationship between teachers and students. “The guidelines go into so much micro detail that the government is actually taking total control of how schools should handle national security-related issues,” he said.

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But Ho Hon-kuen, a manager at Elegantia College in Sheung Shui and chairman of the pro-establishment group Education Convergence, welcomed the guidelines saying they provided clear rules for schools. “Critics will of course say it is brainwashing,” he said. “But national security is a very important concept. Young pupils should get to know some of its basics too.”

Representatives of some parents groups said they were anxious about the impact of the guidelines on students. Hins Tsang, a Form Six student and spokesman for the student group Hong Kong Ideologist, questioned whether the guidelines violate the human rights of young people and teachers.

7. How is national security education different in mainland China?

National security is a key component of the mainland’s education and civil servants training systems. China’s education ministry has made the drafting of national security education textbooks a priority this year.

Analysts have said children on the mainland have a stronger sense of national identity than those in Hong Kong. National security education on the mainland places a greater emphasis on the history and role of the Communist Party.

Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers president Wong Kwan-yu, a local deputy to the National People’s Congress, said Hong Kong teachers should teach students that national security was not only about certain crimes, but a concept encompassing a wide range of subjects.

Another NPC deputy, Ip Kwok-him said compared with the new guidelines, mainland national security education placed more attention on modern Chinese history. “There is more information on history since the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949,” he said.

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