Hong Kong protests: Secondary schools pull out of debate contest after argument over demonstration-related topics

At least four secondary schools have withdrawn from the first-ever Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debate Competition after a pro-Beijing outcry regarding the discussion of protest-related topics, its organisers have said.

Debate motions such as “Hong Kong people should fight for Hong Kong independence” and “Restructuring the police force does more good than harm” were slammed by pro-Beijing teachers’ union the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers last week. The HKFEW said such propositions were politicised and inappropriate.

More than 120 schools are taking part in the competition, with preliminary rounds running from November to January. Most of the 145 finalised topics were proposed by participating schools and chosen based on criteria including relevance to local and international current affairs and resonance with secondary-school students.

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But four schools said over the past few days they were pulling out of the competition, citing reasons such as scheduling clashes, organisers said on Monday, adding that it was a “pity”. The withdrawals followed denunciations of the protest-related topics by the HKFEW and pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao on Friday.

“Debating has always been a rational and politically neutral activity. No matter what the topic is, both the proposition and opposition sides have to do thorough research and formulate solid arguments so as to win,” said HKSDF organising member Kelvin Yang.

Less controversial topics related to areas such as economics and people’s livelihoods, including “Statutory minimum wage does more good than harm” and “Hong Kong should introduce a wealth tax system”.

Another HKSDF member, surnamed Chan, said: “We understand some schools might feel pressurised but many teachers and students might still want to join the competition.”

The group added that simply debating the fraught topics did not denote any sort of bias. For instance, it added, the topic on restructuring the police force was debated last Saturday and the team opposing it won.

But it added it was worried more schools would withdraw from the competition under pressure.

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The competition is sponsored by the Project Citizens Foundation, an organisation co-founded by former politicians and professionals including former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang, a pro-democracy campaigner. HKSDF said the foundation was not involved in selecting debate topics, and had only helped secure and pay for venues.

One principal from a participating school said, on condition of anonymity, that most of the 145 topics were insightful and worth discussing, but added that some “more politically inclined” topics might bring politics into schools, even if that was not the aim.