People's Daily": 'colonial Poison' In HK Schools

The Communist Party's mouthpiece, People's Daily, warned on Thursday that Hong Kong's education system is seriously sick and suffering fro what it described as "heartbreaking chaos".

In a strongly worded commentary responding to the SAR government's recent disqualification of a Alliance Primary School teacher accused of using Hong Kong independence materials, it said the "poison of colonial education" had not yet cleared and national education had not yet taken a strong hold in the SAR.

It also said the "motherland's flowers have been deprived of sunlight and rain and polluted by murky water and poisonous air", claiming that political groups were using every means to politicise campuses.

It took aim at teachers allegedly promoting independence and inciting violence, the Professional Teachers' Union as well as student unions advocating "mutual destruction", calling them accomplices.

The article also repeated the Liaison Office's comment in June that there's only "one country" when it comes to nurturing qualified nationals and developing nationalism in education.

The decision to disqualify the primary school teacher has sparked controversy, with the SAR's largest teachers' union accusing education officials of conducting an unfair investigation.

However, pro-Beijing groups welcomed the move, and on Wednesday, former chief executive CY Leung called on Alliance Primary School and parents to reveal the teacher's name.

Leung - who's a vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - also said said that if the teacher's offence had occurred after July 1, then he would have been in breach of the National Security Law, and teachers and principals must "serve in accordance with the national security law".