Schools Won't Be Independence Breeding Grounds: CS

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung on Sunday said the government will not allow local schools to turn into “breeding grounds” for Hong Kong independence, stressing that the Education Bureau must act as a gatekeeper to protect students from such “twisted and illegal” notions.

Writing in his blog, Cheung suggested that education had become politicised, saying “we should join hands to get education back on the right track”.

He also made an indirect reference to the recent controversy surrounding the striking off of a teacher at the Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong, who was deemed to have used pro-independence teaching materials on his class of fifth-graders.

“It is the responsibility of teachers to abide by standards of professional conduct”, he wrote.

“I deeply believe the vast majority of teachers maintain their professionalism, and take on the mission of guiding students”, he said, adding that such teachers help mold students into “responsible and good citizens and nationals, who contribute to the long-term stability of the country and the community.”

The Chief Secretary also said the government will be strengthening its testing capacity amid a recent uptick in the number of Covid-19 cases.

He urged people to keep their guard up, and maintain social distancing measures.