https://www.scmp.com/rss/268042/feed Chan Ho-him is a reporter for the Hong Kong desk focused on covering education policies. He joined the Post in 2019. Prior to that, he was an investigative reporter at Ming Pao. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hong Kong educators have called for further details about a new plan to require more teachers to pass a test on the city’s mini-constitution, including whether the proposal applies to native English speakers. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor unveiled the measure in her annual policy blueprint on Wednesday, saying teachers who were fresh graduates or changing jobs would have to take an exam on the Basic Law before they started teaching at Hong Kong’s hundreds of government-subsidised... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3151425/policy-address-requirement-hong-kong-teachers-pass-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3151425/policy-address-requirement-hong-kong-teachers-pass-test?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Oct 2021 02:30:16 +0000 Hong Kong’s sports and cultural sector has hailed the proposed creation of a new bureau, voicing hope it will boost the city’s global reputation in such areas. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor unveiled a “reorganisation” of the cultural and creative industries in her policy address on Wednesday, with sports set to be a visible pillar in its own right, under a new Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau proposed for the next administration. The city’s historic performance at the Tokyo 2020... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3151410/carrie-lam-policy-address-local-sports-will-thrive-culture-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3151410/carrie-lam-policy-address-local-sports-will-thrive-culture-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Oct 2021 12:36:22 +0000 Hong Kong Metropolitan University – previously the Open University – is the latest higher education institution to introduce a compulsory course covering the national security law imposed by Beijing last year. From November, students will have to attend the relevant courses under its general education modules. They will take part in online seminars, write essays and be graded on a pass-or-fail basis, but all students must complete the courses before they graduate. “We hope all graduates from our... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3151045/hong-kong-metropolitan-university-latest-introduce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3151045/hong-kong-metropolitan-university-latest-introduce?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Oct 2021 23:00:36 +0000 Hong Kong’s financial chief “has the qualifications” to be a contender for the city’s next leader, pro-establishment veteran Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has said, although “many others” also fall into this category. But the Executive Council member, who has herself run for chief executive twice before, also warned against interpreting Paul Chan Mo-po’s new report on the city’s business environment as an attempt to showcase himself ahead of the March election. The unprecedented report, released on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3150410/hong-kong-finance-chief-has-qualifications-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3150410/hong-kong-finance-chief-has-qualifications-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Sep 2021 08:11:44 +0000 A company backed by former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has lost its legal bid to force authorities to name teachers found guilty of professional misconduct over the civil unrest in 2019. The High Court on Tuesday threw out a judicial review application by 803 Funds after finding the Education Bureau was “fully justified” to refuse to disclose the information and its decision was “entirely reasonable”. “There are good reasons given by [the bureau] in the final decision why the withheld... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3150400/high-court-denies-bid-ex-hong-kong-leader-name?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3150400/high-court-denies-bid-ex-hong-kong-leader-name?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Sep 2021 07:34:46 +0000 Hong Kong’s Olympians have expressed hopes that more people will be able to watch live broadcasts of coming major sports events and that extra attention can also be placed on athletes locally. In response, the city’s sports commissioner on Saturday said the government could consider making arrangements similar to the purchase of Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games broadcasting rights for local stations to air for free other events, such as next year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou. The athletes made... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150132/give-hongkongers-sporting-chance-more-live-broadcasts-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150132/give-hongkongers-sporting-chance-more-live-broadcasts-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 17:29:57 +0000 The average monthly rent per square foot for subdivided flats in Hong Kong is “shockingly” higher than that for private housing across the city, a survey has found. The survey, released on Saturday, was conducted by Chinese University researchers and the Concerning Grassroots’ Housing Rights Alliance, which also urged the government to consider setting an initial rent guideline for all subdivided flats in addition to previously proposed control measures. The university’s Institute of Future... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150120/average-monthly-rent-square-foot-subdivided-flats-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150120/average-monthly-rent-square-foot-subdivided-flats-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 13:47:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will redevelop more than 2.6 hectares of land in Cheung Sha Wan, including a cluster of 62-year-old tenement buildings, to provide nearly 2,000 private flats. The authority estimated about HK$10 billion (US$1.28 billion) would be needed to rehouse and compensate around 2,100 families in the Kim Shin Lane blocks, which were generally in “poor condition” and had a large number of subdivided flats. “Kim Shin Lane has very old tenement buildings built in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150040/nearly-2000-flats-planned-hong-kongs-urban-renewal-authority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150040/nearly-2000-flats-planned-hong-kongs-urban-renewal-authority?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:10:41 +0000 Some two-thirds of respondents in a recent survey of Hong Kong secondary school students said the English they learned in class was not enough to meet the demands of daily life, let alone advanced study or their desired careers. The survey results, released on Wednesday by the Hong Kong Education Policy Concern Organisation and the Women Teachers’ Organisation, also showed that nearly a third of the pupils believed speaking and writing were the two components they wished they had more training... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149715/two-thirds-hong-kong-secondary-school-students-say-english?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149715/two-thirds-hong-kong-secondary-school-students-say-english?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 12:33:05 +0000 Property specialists have advocated measures such as reforming the town-planning process to ease Hong Kong’s housing woes, ahead of city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s policy address on October 6. Shih Wing-ching, founder of one of the city’s biggest real estate agencies Centaline Group, also said it was “far-fetched” to believe Beijing would target and clamp down on property tycoons when their support was needed to solve the housing shortfall. Shih told a radio programme on Wednesday that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3149672/reform-town-planning-process-roll-out-measures-ease-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3149672/reform-town-planning-process-roll-out-measures-ease-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:01:24 +0000 First-year students at Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University (PolyU) will learn about the Beijing-imposed national security law and the history of the “humiliation” of China as part of a compulsory course on leadership qualities, according to senior management. Associate vice-president Professor Daniel Shek Tan-lei said on Monday students needed to be shaped into “law-abiding leaders” and he did not see any “erosion in academic freedom” under the legislation that came into effect in June of last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149472/hong-kongs-polyu-teach-national-security-law-and-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149472/hong-kongs-polyu-teach-national-security-law-and-history?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Sep 2021 13:46:12 +0000 Hong Kong schools have begun teaching “citizenship and social development” in place of the controversial liberal studies subject, with some teachers saying they will draw on the 2019 anti-government protests during lessons. Education authorities said earlier that current affairs should be avoided, but teachers told the Post the social unrest and the city’s first national security court case presented good examples of the need to follow the law. The new subject is being taught to senior secondary... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149324/hong-kong-teachers-will-draw-protests-court-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149324/hong-kong-teachers-will-draw-protests-court-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Sep 2021 02:00:21 +0000 Hong Kong’s biggest opposition trade union has confirmed it is in the process to disband and expects to dissolve early next month over concerns for “members’ personal safety”. The announcement by the Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) on Sunday came a day after its chief executive Mung Siu-tat revealed he had already resigned and left the city because of “imminent political risks and safety concerns”. “Over the past one to two weeks, our members have received more messages,” chairman Joe Wong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3149319/hong-kongs-largest-opposition-trade-union-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3149319/hong-kongs-largest-opposition-trade-union-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Sep 2021 08:00:39 +0000 Hong Kong’s most influential opposition trade union will instruct its auditor to appraise its assets as part of the organisation’s winding up. Announcing the disbandment of the Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) on Sunday, chairman Joe Wong Nai-yuen did not give an estimate for the overall worth of the assets but said it hoped to donate some of them to other labour unions. “We hope that would be able to help workers to get more assistance when they face [unfairness] in the future,” Wong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3149218/opposition-trade-union-took-hong-kong-tycoons-over-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3149218/opposition-trade-union-took-hong-kong-tycoons-over-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Sep 2021 16:04:43 +0000 The number of international, private and semi-private schools in Hong Kong given permission to raise tuition fees this academic year has nearly doubled, with 87 institutions increasing rates by an average of about 3 per cent. At least 88 subsidised kindergartens also had their applications approved by the Education Bureau – a significant drop from last year’s 280. But one school has more than doubled its annual fees despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. Some principals said they believed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149040/number-hong-kong-private-and-semi-private-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3149040/number-hong-kong-private-and-semi-private-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Sep 2021 23:00:21 +0000 Cathay Pacific has been warned by Hong Kong’s equality watchdog that it could be breaching discrimination laws after the carrier fired aircrew who failed to get vaccinated against Covid-19. On Monday, Ricky Chu Man-kin, chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), said differences in the way the airline’s staff were treated could be regulated under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance depending on each case, adding some of those dismissed had already contacted the independent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3148527/coronavirus-cathay-pacific-given-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3148527/coronavirus-cathay-pacific-given-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Sep 2021 05:51:10 +0000 Members of Hong Kong’s biggest teachers’ union on Saturday passed a motion to formally disband and wind up the 47-year-old organisation, a month after its leaders announced it would break up under pressure from authorities. The decision by the Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU) was made at an extraordinary general meeting and came after members last month voted to amend its constitution so fewer would be required to initiate the disbanding. The change meant only two-thirds of attendees would... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3148410/members-hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-vote-disband?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3148410/members-hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-vote-disband?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Sep 2021 08:03:49 +0000 Five Hong Kong secondary schools are expected to resume full-day in-person classes for certain grades as early as Monday after they reached the required 70 per cent vaccination rate against Covid-19, the education chief has revealed. Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung also said on Friday that more than 92 per cent of teaching staff across all schools had received at least one vaccine dose by last Friday, while those who had not been inoculated must undergo regular testing. The city... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3148336/coronavirus-hong-kong-5-schools-resume-full-day-classes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3148336/coronavirus-hong-kong-5-schools-resume-full-day-classes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Sep 2021 10:12:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s education minister has insisted there was “not a significant drop” in the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools, although official figures show more than 60 classes have been cut citywide amid a wave of emigration over the past year. But Kevin Yeung Yun-hung noted on Friday that more people, including many pupils, had been leaving the city with their families, and said the government would conduct its annual headcount of students by the middle of the month to assess any impact... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147549/hong-kong-education-chief-insists-schools-have-seen-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147549/hong-kong-education-chief-insists-schools-have-seen-no?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Sep 2021 14:33:26 +0000 The University of Hong Kong has lifted an entry ban on 18 student union council leaders previously forbidden from setting foot on campus after they passed a motion mourning the “sacrifice” of a man who stabbed a police officer in July. An HKU spokeswoman told the Post on Thursday that the ban, which barred 44 members of the council from entering the campus or using its facilities and services, had been revoked for 18 of the group, at least some of whom would have voted in favour of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147276/university-hong-kong-lifts-campus-ban-18-student-council?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147276/university-hong-kong-lifts-campus-ban-18-student-council?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Sep 2021 05:10:05 +0000 Four Hong Kong universities are among the top 100 institutions worldwide on a list compiled by a prominent publication, marking a record for the city since the rankings were introduced 11 years ago. The results, published by British-based Times Higher Education (THE), came against a backdrop of accusations by critics that academic freedom at universities in the city was being eroded under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Researchers behind the rankings, however, said they had not seen... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147216/4-hong-kong-institutions-among-top-100-new-global-rankings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147216/4-hong-kong-institutions-among-top-100-new-global-rankings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Sep 2021 23:00:22 +0000 Some Hong Kong parents are urging education authorities to lower the 70 per cent vaccination threshold required to hold a full day of in-person classes, as not a single local school had met the requirement on the first day of the new academic year. Wednesday also saw security guards greet returning students and staff at the University of Science and Technology, where proof of vaccination or regular Covid-19 testing is now required to enter campus. It is one of several local universities to adopt... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147112/coronavirus-hong-kong-parents-want-vaccination-bar-lowered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3147112/coronavirus-hong-kong-parents-want-vaccination-bar-lowered?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Sep 2021 03:06:05 +0000 Hong Kong schools are unlikely to be holding full-day sessions when the new term begins on September 1, as almost none have reached the required 70 per cent threshold of vaccinated students and teachers. Some secondary schools said while most of their teachers and staff had been vaccinated against Covid-19, many students had not, with some still resisting the jabs because of concerns over side effects. An Education Bureau spokeswoman told the Post on Friday that not a single school had yet... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3146731/coronavirus-hong-kong-schools-unlikely-resume-full-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3146731/coronavirus-hong-kong-schools-unlikely-resume-full-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Aug 2021 08:00:09 +0000 A Hong Kong primary school has urged the government to rethink tying the resumption of full-day classes to high vaccination rates, stressing the importance of a return to normal for students on whom the coronavirus pandemic has taken an emotional toll. Administrators at the Fukien Secondary School Affiliated School in Yau Tong said this week that there was a need to address students’ mental health issues, arguing that reduced interactions in school amid pandemic-related class suspensions had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3146372/hong-kong-primary-school-urges-government-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3146372/hong-kong-primary-school-urges-government-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Aug 2021 23:30:35 +0000 National security police are investigating the main group behind Hong Kong’s annual vigil marking the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown for alleged collusion with foreign forces, sources have revealed. Police have sent letters to 12 members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China – which has already decided to disband – demanding information about its membership and activities. It marks the first time the National Security Department has exercised power... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146285/national-security-law-hong-kong-group-behind-annual?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146285/national-security-law-hong-kong-group-behind-annual?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Aug 2021 04:52:43 +0000 Student leaders at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) involved in passing a motion last month mourning the “sacrifice” of a man who stabbed a police officer are being questioned individually by school management as to how they voted, following the arrest of four others said to have backed the resolution. Their responses will be taken into consideration as HKU reviews an earlier decision to ban those involved from campus, according to an email sent to student council members by the university and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146261/university-hong-kong-quizzing-student-leaders-over-how-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146261/university-hong-kong-quizzing-student-leaders-over-how-they?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Aug 2021 01:39:02 +0000 Hundreds copies of the latest issue of Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s student union magazine have been yanked from campus shelves after administrators took issue with content touching on a now-illegal protest slogan and shrinking freedoms under the national security law. The students running the magazine could also face disciplinary action, according to the union. The body’s press committee said on Tuesday that PolyU management had asked it to not only take away all hard copies of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3146237/national-security-law-hong-kongs-polyu-tells-student-union?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3146237/national-security-law-hong-kongs-polyu-tells-student-union?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:57:12 +0000 Hong Kong is “no longer in travel talks” with other places because of differences in approach to containing Covid-19, the city’s health minister has revealed. Sophia Chan Siu-chee on Saturday said the government was still aiming to strike a balance between residents’ expectation of “zero infections”, while avoiding becoming “completely cut off” from the outside world. The long-awaited travel bubble with Singapore was ditched for good on Thursday, after the city state moved towards a policy of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145883/coronavirus-hong-kong-no-longer-travel-bubble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145883/coronavirus-hong-kong-no-longer-travel-bubble?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Aug 2021 06:14:50 +0000 Hong Kong’s commerce minister has defended the decision to allow Hollywood star Nicole Kidman to enter the city without being quarantined, saying the government had “struck a balance” between helping the actress and epidemic control. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah also said on Friday that a total of five members of the Amazon show Kidman was here to film had been granted exemptions, adding officials would continue to monitor the crew to ensure compliance with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145754/nicole-kidmans-quarantine-free-deal-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145754/nicole-kidmans-quarantine-free-deal-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Aug 2021 05:54:04 +0000 A Hong Kong primary school plans to set up a HK$4 million (US$513,400) fencing centre on campus to encourage more pupils to pick up the sport, following athlete Edgar Cheung Ka-long’s historic victory at the Tokyo Olympics. The training and competition centre, to be located at Po Leung Kuk Riverain Primary School in Ma On Shan, will provide space for its about 800 pupils to give the sport a try. Children who are not from the school can also sign up for lessons at half the price of regular... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3145682/hong-kong-primary-school-set-hk4-million-fencing-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3145682/hong-kong-primary-school-set-hk4-million-fencing-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Aug 2021 23:30:29 +0000 Anyone flying into Hong Kong from countries in the medium-risk category will have to undergo at least 14 days of quarantine starting from Friday after the government scrapped a plan to shorten the period for those who test positive for Covid-19 antibodies. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday announced the halt to the antibody programme, the second phase of which was set to take effect on Wednesday and would involve testing on arrival at the airport. Hong Kong tightens entry... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145310/hong-kong-pulls-plug-airport-antibody-tests-non?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145310/hong-kong-pulls-plug-airport-antibody-tests-non?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Aug 2021 06:12:48 +0000 Destinations such as Britain, Canada, the United States and Taiwan are popular with many of the about 90,000 Hong Kong residents who left the city in the past year, a Post study of government statistics has found. Immigration consultants and analysts warned that the number leaving could be on the rise under new paths offered by countries including Britain and Canada, while pointing out that those heading to work or study overseas might not return to the city. They voiced concerns about the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3145070/britain-canada-united-states-and-taiwan-popular-options-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3145070/britain-canada-united-states-and-taiwan-popular-options-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Aug 2021 13:36:46 +0000 Nearly 90,000 residents have left Hong Kong amid a wave of emigration in the year after the national security law was imposed, leading to a significant 1.2 per cent drop in the city’s population. The decline to 7.39 million people is the biggest since the local population saw the first signs of a decreasing trend in the middle of 2020, by 0.3 per cent year on year. Before that there had always been steady growth since mid-2003, with an increase rate ranging from 0.2 to 1.1 per cent leading to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3144845/hong-kongs-experiences-alarming-population-drop-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3144845/hong-kongs-experiences-alarming-population-drop-government?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:00:53 +0000 A record high proportion of Hong Kong secondary school graduates will secure spots in local universities this year amid a drop in competition, but some analysts predict many students will be looking beyond the city for higher education, prompted in part by recent political developments. Official statistics released by the city’s joint university admissions body show that 38.1 per cent – or nearly 15,500 – of this year’s more than 40,600 applicants will be offered first-year bachelor’s programme... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3144716/record-high-acceptance-rate-hong-kong-universities-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3144716/record-high-acceptance-rate-hong-kong-universities-year?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Aug 2021 23:00:19 +0000 Members of Hong Kong’s biggest teachers’ union are mourning the sudden decision to disband a group that staunchly defended their rights for decades, saying the organisation cannot be replaced by another body any time soon. Analysts described the break-up of the Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU) as yet another heavy blow to the opposition camp and warned that other prominent outfits could come under greater pressure in the city’s highly charged political climate. After union president Fung... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3144588/heartbreaking-expected-members-hong-kongs-biggest-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3144588/heartbreaking-expected-members-hong-kongs-biggest-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Aug 2021 01:00:20 +0000 Hong Kong’s biggest teachers’ union has announced its disbandment, the political bombshell coming days after education authorities formally severed ties with the opposition-leaning group and warned that law enforcement could “take appropriate action” against it if necessary. The embattled Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU), which has some 95,000 members, declared on Tuesday that it was left with no other option after being attacked by Beijing through state media as a “malignant tumour” that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3144518/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-set-disband-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3144518/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-set-disband-after?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Aug 2021 08:16:33 +0000 Hong Kong schools are removing books from their libraries over the summer break that may violate the national security law, including titles targeted by pro-Beijing media and those broaching sensitive topics such as Taiwan. In the absence of an official list of banned books, librarians fearful of crossing red lines told the Post they had adopted a more cautious approach to screening their collections. Some report they are even questioning whether to take works such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3144202/national-security-law-hong-kong-schools-remove-books-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3144202/national-security-law-hong-kong-schools-remove-books-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 13:00:15 +0000 A 30-year-old Hong Kong man was arrested on suspicion of murder in Tuen Mun on Thursday night, after the body of an elderly man with multiple stab wounds was discovered in a nearby playground pavilion. According to the force, a pedestrian called police at about 8.55pm on Thursday after finding the 70-year-old, unconscious and covered in blood, at the Hoi Chu Road Playground. Paramedics declared him dead at the scene. Officers found multiple stab wounds, mostly around the victim’s face and neck,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3144060/hong-kong-arrest-suspect-stabbing-death-elderly-man?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3144060/hong-kong-arrest-suspect-stabbing-death-elderly-man?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Aug 2021 05:20:48 +0000 Hong Kong’s largest teachers’ union has withdrawn from a Europe-based federation of 380 educators’ groups worldwide after city authorities cut ties with the local body, slamming it for being too “political”. The pro-opposition Professional Teachers’ Union, which has 95,000 members, also said it had launched a working group to boost awareness of Chinese history and culture among educators and students. Pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao on Thursday reported that since the 2019 social unrest, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3143938/hong-kongs-largest-teachers-union-withdraws-brussels-based?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3143938/hong-kongs-largest-teachers-union-withdraws-brussels-based?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 08:44:01 +0000 Insiders have said a University of Hong Kong decision to ban more than 30 student leaders from campus sidestepped normal disciplinary procedure, a move that has provoked concern among some and led to a member of the school’s governing body resigning. Sources spoke to the Post shortly after HKU’s governing council on Wednesday ruled that all student leaders involved in last month’s passing of a resolution mourning the death of a man who stabbed a police officer would be banned from stepping foot... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143884/university-hong-kong-bypassed-normal-disciplinary-procedure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143884/university-hong-kong-bypassed-normal-disciplinary-procedure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:42:37 +0000 The University of Hong Kong’s governing council has said all student leaders who last month passed a controversial resolution mourning the death of a man who stabbed a police officer will be banned from entering the campus or using any of its facilities and services. In a statement on Wednesday, the governing body said that as the resolution – passed on July 7 but quickly withdrawn after an outcry – was under police investigation and could have broken the law, allowing the relevant student union... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143816/university-hong-kong-chiefs-ban-campus-all-student-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143816/university-hong-kong-chiefs-ban-campus-all-student-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 11:34:56 +0000 Key points: • Five-tier system will be condensed into three risk levels – high, medium and low • All travellers must provide a negative virus test 72 hours before departure • Fully vaccinated residents from high-risk countries can return to the city • Vaccinated non-residents from medium-risk countries can enter the city • Travellers from high-risk countries must quarantine for 21 days in designated hotels • Foreign domestic workers vaccinated in Hong Kong will be allowed to return to the city •... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3143495/coronavirus-hong-kong-full-day-classes-expected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3143495/coronavirus-hong-kong-full-day-classes-expected?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 08:22:59 +0000 Glitches have racked one of the payment platforms for Hong Kong’s HK$5,000 (US$643) e-voucher scheme, preventing some shoppers from using their coupons since the initiative’s weekend launch. Mobile wallet Tap & Go, part of Richard Li Tzar-kai’s telecoms giant PCCW, apologised on Monday to customers for the problems they experienced with collecting and spending the digital vouchers after the scheme went live early on Sunday. Disgruntled users said the tap function on the platform did not work... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143486/hk5000-vouchers-hong-kong-shoppers-fuming-over-tap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143486/hk5000-vouchers-hong-kong-shoppers-fuming-over-tap?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 07:57:54 +0000 The late founder of the Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU), Szeto Wah, was once one of Beijing’s most trusted dissenting voices having been invited to sit on an exclusive committee to draft Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in the mid-1980s. Although he resigned from the Basic Law Drafting Committee following the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, political pundits argued the central government never shut him out entirely. But on Saturday, the Education Bureau in Hong Kong said it would no longer... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143417/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-walked-fine-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143417/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-walked-fine-line?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:00:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s finance chief has welcomed China’s anti-sanctions law as a “necessary and reasonable” response to punitive actions from the United States, as he raised the prospect of lawmakers adjusting the national legislation locally rather than Beijing imposing it directly. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said on Sunday that ongoing China-US tensions presented both risks and opportunities for Hong Kong, and businesses in the city must be aware of both. “When the US treats China... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143396/hong-kong-finance-chief-backs-beijings-anti-sanctions-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143396/hong-kong-finance-chief-backs-beijings-anti-sanctions-law?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 10:42:36 +0000 Spending of the first batch of coupons under the Hong Kong government’s HK$5,000 (US$643) e-voucher scheme kicked off on Sunday with residents across the city going on shopping sprees and flocking to restaurants. Consumers were seen snapping up everything from Rolex watches to fast food on the scheme’s launch, with malls drawing in crowds through live broadcasts of the Tokyo Olympics. Electrical appliances and gadgets also proved popular with those taking advantage of the HK$36 billion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143372/hong-kong-goes-spending-spree-hk5000-vouchers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143372/hong-kong-goes-spending-spree-hk5000-vouchers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 05:43:50 +0000 A cooling paint for buildings to increase the efficiency of air conditioners and an app which allows people to pay gym fees on a minute-by-minute-basis are among innovative projects approved under a HK$500 million (US$64.3 million) scheme to support entrepreneurship among young people in Hong Kong. HK Tech 300, one of the largest funding programmes at City University, has so far selected 65 start-up teams formed by students and alumni at the university in the first two rounds of the selection... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3143054/hong-kongs-young-entrepreneurs-get-boost-hk500-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3143054/hong-kongs-young-entrepreneurs-get-boost-hk500-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jul 2021 12:40:48 +0000 Hong Kong’s largest teachers’ union has joined the exodus from the alliance that organises the city’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil, citing the “worsening political situation”. The opposition-leaning Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU) confirmed to the Post on Thursday that it decided to quit the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China last month following a meeting of its 39-member executive committee. “We made the decision grudgingly, but given the worsening... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143013/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-quits-alliance-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143013/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-quits-alliance-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jul 2021 09:31:52 +0000 The chief of the Hong Kong Sports Institute has called on the government to inject more resources into the nurturing of young talent, with fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long’s Olympic gold expected to inspire more people to become top-level athletes. Lam Tai-fai, a former pro-establishment lawmaker and founder of the secondary school attended by Cheung, also said on Tuesday he hoped more parents would show support for their children if they wanted to pursue their athletic dreams – even at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3142687/after-olympic-triumph-hong-kong-sports-institute-chief-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3142687/after-olympic-triumph-hong-kong-sports-institute-chief-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jul 2021 07:14:29 +0000 Hong Kong national security police are investigating whether a female journalist has any connection to the July 1 stabbing of an officer outside the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay, a source has said. The journalist, who was working for online outlet Vision Times at the time of the attack, was picked up by officers from the force’s National Security Department late on Monday evening. Pro-establishment figures have suggested the Falun Gong – a religious movement banned in mainland China –... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3142670/hong-kong-national-security-police-question-journalist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3142670/hong-kong-national-security-police-question-journalist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jul 2021 05:13:31 +0000