No Need For A Law On Anthem Teaching: Ip Kin-yuen

Lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, who represents the education sector, believes it's not necessary for the government to write into law a requirement for schools to teach the national anthem to students, as part of new legislation to ban people from disrespecting the anthem.

Ip said it is a matter usually covered by curriculum guidelines in Hong Kong and that is adequate.

"In Hong Kong, we are not used to this kind of requirement, using legislation to stipulate what is to be taught in schools," he said.

Sources have said the proposed legislation would put the issue of educating primary and secondary school students on the national anthem before lawmakers. The government is expected to table a bill on the proposed law in the Legislative Council next week.

Ip told RTHK's Janice Wong that how the law is written is also crucial.

The principal of Lions College in Kwai Chung, James Fung, agreed with the lawmaker's view that schools should be left out of the proposed legislation.

Fung, who is also an ex-officio member of the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council, said his school introduced national anthem education a year after the handover in 1997 and everything has been running smoothly.

He said he believes schools should be given autonomy in this area.