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Communism in the Classroom

China wants the world to forget about its political takeover of Hong Kong, but we’ll try to keep you as informed as we can. The latest news is the imposition of a Communist Party-friendly curriculum in the city’s schools.
On Saturday the Education Bureau said it will no longer recognize the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, which has 95,000 members and is more a guild than a union in the American sense. The Education Bureau says the union has been “engaging in political propaganda under the guise of being a professional education organisation.” But authorities’ real fear is that teachers will resist imposing Beijing’s “patriotic education” on Hong Kong students.

Source: WSJ #Aug04

https://www.wsj.com/articles/communism-in-the-classroom-hong-kong-professional-teachers-union-china-11628114600

#China #HongKong #CCP #Education
Bloomberg: Xi Jinping’s “common prosperity” makes investors uneasy, Chinese regulators meet with Wall Street executives to defend against technology companies  
 
According to Bloomberg, China recently defends against technology companies and the “common prosperity” from Chinese President Xi Jinping makes global investors feel disturbed. Chinese regulators and Wall Street executives had a closed meeting on Thursday, which defending the recent suppression of multiple industries, claiming that its regulatory measures are not aimed at technology or private companies. 
 
According to quoted resources from the report, Fang Xinghai, Vice Chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission, Senior Officials of the People’s Bank of China, and financial companies such as Goldman Sachs, Citadel, and BlackRock, held a 3-hour closed-door meeting on Thursday.  
 
During the meeting, Fang Xinghai stated the supervision from Chinese government to Chinese companies should not be interpreted as being decoupled from the US or international financial markets. He stated that, China recent measures are targeting at companies operating consumer platforms and strengthens the supervision to improve privacy safety and national security. For measures that are aiming at education training industries and gaming industries, it is aiming to reduce the concerns of society.  
 
Source: Stand News #Sep19

https://bit.ly/3GRsUvQ
 
#Bloomberg #XiJinping #WallStreet #China #Technology #Supervision #Privacy #NationalSecurity #Education #GamingIndustries  
#University
HKUST president to step down a year early

#HKUST #WeiShyy #StwpDown #Education

Source: Citizen News, #Nov9

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#University
HKUST president to step down a year early


On November 9, 2021, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (#HKUST) announced that its president #WeiShyy will step down on October 19 next year, almost a year before his five-year term is due to end.

Shyy didn't explain why he was resigning.

The aerospace professor became head of HKUST in September 2018 and is the President with the shortest tenure.

During Anti-ELAB movement in 2019, #AlexChow, a HKUST student, who fell to his death in a car park after partaking a nearby pro-democracy protest.

When the news broke out on November 8, 2019, Shyy suspended an ongoing congregation immediately.

He was seen shedding and wiping away tears while asking participants of the ceremony to stand and observe a moment of silence.

On the same day, Shyy issued an open letter requesting Hong Kong authorities to conduct independent and thorough investigation into the cause of death of Alex Chow, saying the police force, in particular, should clarify why there was a delay in first aid assistance.

Shyy stated in the open letter, "If there is no satisfactory explanation, it will set off our indignation. "

Source: Citizen News, #Nov9
https://bit.ly/3bRu1h1

#ViceChancellor #Education #HKUST #WeiShyy #StwpDown
#Brainwash
University in Hong Kong Cites Ongoing Court Cases as Examples of #NationalSecurity Violation, President Calls it 'Academic Freedom'

Recently, Stand News obtained the #NationalSecurityLaw (#NSL) teaching material used in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (#PolyU). The University cited the cases of pro-democracg activist Tong Ying-kit, the LegCo Primary election and the Student Affairs Committee of the HKU Student Union as examples of "secession, subversion and terrorism".

Tong’s case is still undergoing review, while the LegCo primary election case involving the 47 democrats is pending for trial.

At the University’s 85th Inauguration Ceremony, its president #TengJinGuang was asked to comment on the appropriateness of quoting two ongoing court cases as examples in NSL teaching material.

Reporters asked whether it reflected the University’s stance considering these cases without merits. The University was also asked to confirm whether the National Security Department or any government authorities has been consulted during the development of these materials.

In a dilemma, Teng claimed that development of relevant curriculum has undergone "multiple consultations".

Teng said that he trusted the development team’s experience and expertise, claiming that is “academic freedom”.

Teng refused to comment on citing ongoing court cases in teaching material as he stressed that “we were not involved in such detailed discussion.”

The President also avoided the question on the composition of the curriculum development team.

A reporter challenged whether the University would request amendment for erroneous materials. Teng bluffed the question aside, claiming that the responsible staff have always listened to different opinions.

Source: Stand News; #Nov25
https://bit.ly/3phtivV

#University #Education #Curriculum
#BrainWashing #Propaganda
"Don't Lie Flat": New Values Education Framework Promotes "Dilligence", Drops "Critical Thinking" and "Human Rights"

Hong Kong's Education Bureau (#EDB) issued the "Values Education Curriculum Framework (Pilot Version)" on November 30, 2021, as reference material for the city's primary and secondary schools.

The new framework adds "diligence" as a "priority value and attitude" on top of the nine existing values. It also emphasizes "[nurturing] a sense of belonging towards the country from an early age", so as to help students "understand their responsibility, as a Chinese, to protect their family and the country".

The announcement came days after an online article by Secretary for Education #KevinYeung, in which he stressed the importance of #ValuesEducation, while criticizing a trend to "lie flat" among young people.

[Editor's note: The term "lie flat" (躺平) is popularized by young Mainland Chinese netizens who felt disillusioned by long working hours and high social expectations.

In response, they opt for a lifestyle and work ethic of minimalistic survival, and refuse to spend extra effort or money to move up the social ladder, which they saw as being already out of their reach.]

In Hong Kong, the new framework is based on the EDB's 2008 Moral and Civic Education Framework.

The learning objectives in the older framework included "respecting human rights" and learning about the Motherland "through critical thinking". These wordings are no longer found in the new document; instead, a new objective is added: "love the country, love Hong Kong".

Source: Stand News #Nov30
https://thestandnews.page.link/avyAVFN42EnSoV8Y6

#LieFlat #TangPing #Education #ValuesEducation #CCPRules
Former Teacher Hosts Arts Exhibition to Recall Hongkongers' Memory on Pro-democracy Movement

#Vawongsir, a former secondary school teacher and a cartoonist, has been hosting an art exhibition for 2 months at a cafe called Retold at Tsuen Wan's The Mill in Hong Kong since December 2021.

The exhibition displayed 12 artworks by Vawongsir, including one portraying a boy hiding his face, sobbing bitterly in bed at midnight.

Vawongsir sighs that people reduce their concerns about social movement and he hopes the exhibition can recall people's memory. "Hope people will not forget about me, as well as the past incidents."

Vawongsir was accused by the authorities of "professional misconduct", due to his support of the pro-democracy movement.

Recently, he hoped to return to teach by working as a substitute teacher to support his family; however, no school is willing to employ teachers who had been issued a warning letter by the government . All applicantions he sent out had been rejected.

In midst of his hard time, his laptop, which he used to produce illustrations, have also broke down.

Source: Inmedia #Dec23
https://bit.ly/3J29FAZ

#NSL #AntiELABMovement #Teacher #Education #PoliticalSuppression #PoliceState #ProtestArt
#Brainwashing #Education
Universities in Hong Kong to Implement Courses on Modern China and National Security

Source: Inmedia #Jan18
https://bit.ly/3nwAVhB

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#Brainwashing #Education
Universities in Hong Kong to Implement Courses on Modern China and National Security


Under the #NationalSecurityLaw (#NSL), educationsl institutions in Hong Kong were requested to implement national security education.

Universities like the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (#PolyU), the Hong Kong Baptist University (#HKBU), the Hong Kong Education University (#EdUHK) and the Hong Kong Lingnan University (#HKLU) have followed the government order.

Recently, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK) has reportedly amended their core curriculum for the next academic year.

CUHK will open online courses on "Understanding China Today", and "National Security" starting from the next academic year. Each of them takes account to 1 credit.

CUHK confirms InMedia's enquiry and claimed that the new courses aimed to "strengthen students' knowledge [...] to understand national security". The courses were authorised by the University's academic council; however, no curriculum details have been revealed.

According to the documents InMedia received, the course titled "Understanding China Today" touched upon the modernization of China and technological development, in addition to Chinese culture and history. In addition to national security education, other online courses cover positive psychology and modern language. Each of the course takes account to 1 credit.

The University called it "Service Learning" and requires students to take at least one of thrse 1-credit courses.

CUHK replies to InMedia that the university would launcb national security education in accordance with Article 10 of the NSL. The university also said that they have already rolled out a number of policies and activities to "increase students' national belonging". Orientation activities include theme talks about national security and media literacy; courses contain a talk regarding "international circumstances and China's diplomacy"; graduates career workshops consist of #BasicLaw.

Source: Inmedia #Jan18
https://bit.ly/3nwAVhB

#Propaganda #Regime #University
#Suppression #WhiteTerror
The 7th University in Hong Kong ceases recognition of its Students’ Union

#StudentsUnion #Authoritarianism #Censorship #Education

Source: inmediahk; #Jan20
https://bit.ly/3FJOnoP

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32097
#Suppression #WhiteTerror
The 7th University in Hong Kong ceases recognition of its Students’ Union

In an internal email sent to students and faculty members on January 20, 2022, the Education University of Hong Kong (#EdUHK) criticized governance of the student union, saying that the Union has been operating under a ‘provisional’ body for the past four consecutive years, without proper mandate and therefore lack of student representation.

The university said it will stop offering support to the union, including the collection of membership fees, providing network accounts and services, and offering IT support. Additionally, the student union will lose access to its office space and the right to book and use campus facilities and venues.

The union’s HK$9 million reserve will also be “kept under the custody” of the university’s Finance Office.

In just one year, seven of eight universities in Hong Kong has cut ties with their students’ union, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK), the University of Hong Kong (#HKU), the City University of Hong Kong (#CityU), the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (#PolyU), the Baptist University of Hong Kong (#BUHK) and the Lingnan University of Hong Kong (#LingnanU).

#StudentsUnion #Authoritarianism #Censorship #Education

Source: inmediahk; #Jan20
https://bit.ly/3FJOnoP

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Editorial Committee of Hong Kong Baptist University's Students' Union resigns en masse due to #Censorship
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30489
.
#Censorship #ChinaInfluence
British publishers censor books for western readers to appease China

References to Taiwan and Hong Kong were reportedly deleted from works for Western readers, so that they can also be sold in China.

London-listed #Quarto, as well as #OctopusBooks, part of the literary empire #Hachette, have allowed the removal of sensitive content from books to be sold in the West on several occasions.

It is claimed the nationality of people mentioned in one book was also changed from Taiwanese to East Asian, while references to Tibet, a region annexed by China in 1951, were revised in two books to suggest it was Chinese territory.

Since 2020, Octopus has also reportedly removed references in at least two books to Taiwan, a democracy that the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own territory despite never having ruled there.

#CCP #Education

Source: RFA; #Mar16
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/al-03152022162948.html
#Crackdown #Censorship
Slogan dedicated to victims of Tiananmen crackdown has been painted over and lined with a row of potted plants in a Hong Kong University

#CUHK #LingnanU #HKU #PillarOfShame #Education #FreedomOfSpeech

Source: Inmediahk; #Mar31
Photo credit: HKFP

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#Crackdown #Censorship
Slogan dedicated to victims of Tiananmen crackdown has been painted over and lined with a row of potted plants in a Hong Kong University

Residents at Swire Hall of the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) painted a slogan on the bridge after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989.

Every year since then, HKU students have retouched the slogan, which read: “Souls of martyrs shall forever linger despite the brutal massacre; Spark of democracy shall forever glow for the demise of evils.”

33 years later, the university cordoned off the bridge claiming for “regular maintenance works”. Later on the slogan was found covered with cement and on top of it, a row of flower pots was added.

The removal of the slogan was part of a wider clampdown on commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown at universities across Hong Kong.

In December, HKU dismantled the Pillar of Shame statue – an eight-metre sculpture that depicts bloodied bodies bundled together – in the middle of the night.

The next day, also in the early hours, a Goddess of Democracy statue and a relief sculpture were taken down at Chinese University (#CUHK) and Lingnan University (#LingnanU).

#CUHK #LingnanU #HKU #PillarOfShame #Education #FreedomOfSpeech

Source: Inmediahk; #Mar31
https://bit.ly/3J16po2

Photo credit: HKFP
"Amendment Bill Crisis" Involved Terrorist Acts, Says New Hong Kong Textbooks

June 2022 marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the 2019 protests against the Extradition Law Amendment Bill (ELAB). In Hong Kong, since the 2021/2022 school year, Liberal Studies has been replaced by the subject Citizenship and Social Development.

It was found out that the secondary school textbooks of Citizenship and Social Development has omitted many important social events, including the protest and police-civilian clashes that took place on June 12, 2019.

Ming Pao reviewed four newly released textbooks from three publishers, and found that they mentioned these protests as background information for the enactment of the #NationalSecurityLaw. The textbooks only said that "severe, violent incidents" took place in 2019, and asserted that the "amendment bill crisis" involved "violent acts of terrorism involving various illegal acts".

Two textbooks further alleged that "the Central Government considered it involved interference by foreign forces", that opposition forces and organizations inciting Hong Kong independence invited foreign interference, and so on.

Leo Chu, Democratic Party spokesperson on education policies, commented that these descriptions ignored the deeper causes that triggered the widespread protests at the time.

All four textbooks extolled the importance and purpose of the National Security Law, and claimed that it ensures that "One Country, Two Systems" is implemented, protects human rights, and ensures Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Other social issues and controversies were not mentioned.

Source: Ming Pao #Jun13
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220613/s00002/1655058002382/

#Education #Textbook #Brainwashing #AntiELAB #HongKongProtests
#Censorship #Education
Authorities Remove Teaching Materials on Human Rights and Protesting in Hong Kong

Source: Mingpao #June4

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#Censorship #Education
Authorities Remove Teaching Materials on Human Rights and Protesting in Hong Kong

The Education Bureau (#EDB) in Hong Kong has been promoting values education in recent years, and it is rating the "National identity" and "law-abiding" as one of the most important values.

It is also found that some learning and teaching resources under the "Human Rights Education" category have been chopped with the latest website update, including group projects to collect press clippings for demonstrations, studying "why protesters have their demands", etc.

As the 33rd anniversary of the June Fourth Incident approaches, the timing of this update becomes sensitive, though the Education Bureau said yesterday that the recent update "has nothing to do with the June Fourth Incident, so there's no need to make unnecessary speculations".

In the Education Bureau's original framework, students are expected to "respect human rights". These wordings were removed in the pilot version of the "Values Education Curriculum Framework" launched last year.

In addition, the recommendation to students to "cherish freedom and respect the freedom of others" through the #RTHK programme "City Forum" was also removed.

A primary school principal, who did not wish to be named, said she felt helpless about the change in the teaching resources. She said that despite the clear new content, some of the removed items should be available for teaching, but becoming a grey area after the #NationalSecurityLaw came into effect. She worried that teaching such materials might touch on sensitive topics and lead to "consequences".

"For example, teachers should have taught the June 4 incident on June 4, but now they feel that they could no longer teach it under the National Security Law. There's a lot of pressure on the schools and the teachers, that we don't know if anyone would complain about what we teach to the authority," she said.

Source: Mingpao #Jun04

#NSL #Education #June4

https://bit.ly/3yiZ0yo