Hong Kong Teachers Fired and Afraid as China Targets Liberal Thinkers Beijing’s national-security law focuses on schools as incubators of political dissent and reaches right into the classroom
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-teachers-fired-and-afraid-as-china-targets-liberal-thinkers-11595175839
Teachers who backed antigovernment protests in the city—by taking to the streets or supporting the demonstrators on social media—are being reprimanded and, in some cases, fired as China’s Communist Party increasingly moves to stamp out dissent.
Many observers say they fear the tradition of liberal education and critical thinking in what has been a major world financial center will be supplanted by Chinese-style pro-government lessons and suppression of political discourse. Pressure has mounted since Beijing imposed a sweeping new national-security law here at the end of June following a year of protests.
The law gives China’s government much greater powers to police the city and punish those accused of subversion and supporting separatism. Police officers have moved swiftly to quash dissent and implement the law.
A powerful new security agency for the city rapidly set up a headquarters, and Beijing installed an official with experience battling protests and media as the law’s chief enforcer. Public libraries have removed books by pro-democracy figures.
The law calls for heightened supervision and regulation of schools—measures that follow months of warnings to teachers that they not discuss their political views with students or participate in protest activities.
Raymond Yeung, who was arrested at a protest last year, said he was told that, after four years teaching at the Diocesan Girls’ School, his contract wouldn’t be renewed. Mr. Yeung said school authorities started investigating him after a January rally where he said teachers should take a political stand.
The school didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Yeung taught liberal studies, a compulsory subject in Hong Kong added to the curriculum in 2009 to broaden students’ knowledge of current events and teach them to think critically. It has come under attack in the past year from Chinese and local officials for politicizing young people.
Because of the new national-security law, “We might not dare to talk about the human-rights movement in China, its one-party rule, or even natural disasters,” Mr. Yeung said.
About 100 teachers have been arrested in relation to the protest movement in the past year, along with more than 3,000 primary, secondary and university students, according to government officials, who say schools have helped foster discontent.
At an education summit this month, Hong Kong’s top local official, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, said: “We can’t help but ask, what is wrong with the education in Hong Kong?” She went on to say, “I hope that the National Security Law is also a turning point for returning education to education and returning students to the right track.”
Officials say they have received 222 complaints about teachers since protests broke out; so far, they have conducted 180 investigations and issued written warnings to or reprimanded 26 teachers. Others received “advice” or “verbal reminders.” About half of the cases are still being investigated.
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