Dozens Of Teachers Censured Over Protest Comments

Education authorities say 39 teachers have now been censured in relation to complaints made about their conduct since the anti-government protests erupted last June.​

Legislators heard on Thursday that officials have finished looking into 125 of 171 complaints made against teachers.

The majority involved allegations of hateful or discriminatory remarks, while some claimed inappropriate teaching materials had been used in class, and that some teachers had broken the law.

Thirteen teachers have received condemnation letters and four given warnings. They've been told they could be stripped of their teacher registration if they are found to have committed any further misconduct.

Nine teachers have been given advisory letters and 13 verbal reminders "to refrain from activity that is detrimental to the image of the teaching profession and to show respect to the behavioural norms acceptable to society".

Forty-seven of the complaints were found unsubstantiated, but officials said they expected to find wrongdoing in the cases still outstanding.

Pro-establishment legislator Priscilla Leung, who brought the issue up, welcomed the news of the censures, but said education officials have been too lenient with some of the other teachers, adding that this could be a dereliction of duty on the part of the authorities.

Leung said teachers of liberal studies in particular have made remarks that are hostile towards the police, adding that some parents are so worried about their children being taught inappropriate things that they have sent them overseas to be schooled.

But Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui said the authorities are spreading fear among teachers by targeting them for comments they made in private and on their personal social media accounts.

"It's political censorship. The teachers will be afraid to teach stuff that the Education Bureau doesn't like," Hui said.

"At the students' level, I think it's depriving them of their rights, of knowing what's happening in society and that teachers have their personal views. I think it's brainwashing them."