Hong Kong Imposes Sweeping Communist National Security and Patriotism Education in Universities and High Schools

Students of the Hong Kong University Students' Union hold a moment of silence before the Pillar of Shame in Hong Kong on June 4, 2021. Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times

After Beijing imposed the Hong Kong National Security Law in June 2020, the Hong Kong government began to require local schools to teach national security education, that is, political and patriotic communist indoctrination from the mainland. Two years later, it’s being fully implemented.

In July, eight universities in Hong Kong announced that national security courses will be listed as compulsory subjects starting next semester. Likewise, Hong Kong’s high school students must participate in student exchange programs with mainland China during their three-year study.

The University of Hong Kong stated on July 25 that it had notified students by email that a non-credit course “Introduction to the Constitution, Basic Law and National Security Law” would be introduced, starting with the new academic year in September, and all students must complete it in order to graduate.

According to Ming Pao, a local newspaper, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, will also add national security-related courses at the beginning of the new academic year. As of today, the eight government-funded universities in Hong Kong have set up such mandatory courses.

Turning Next Generation to ‘Little Pinks’

High school students are not exempt, as they are required to strengthen their so-called citizen education and national security education.

Deputy Secretary for Education, Hong Chan Tsui-wah, said at a Legislative Council meeting that high school students must visit China once during the three-year course and cannot refuse to participate.

“The Citizen Education Exchange Group is not an optional project. It is a very valuable project paid for by the government. Except for very special reasons, such as being lame or suffering a serious illness, all students must participate,” she said.

She also warned that the Education Bureau will soon send top officials to 20 selected schools to ascertain compliance, so all schools must take it seriously.

Raymond Yeung, the head of Hillway Press who used to teach general studies in a high school, told Radio Free Asia that the student exchange was originally a good opportunity for students to learn about China, but the tough attitude and warning tone of the Education Bureau officials would only have the opposite effect.

“In the past, Hong Kong’s education system was often criticized for being too old-fashioned and exam-oriented. The education sector has spent 10 years carrying out educational reforms, adding more diverse elements to motivate students’ passion to learn,” Yeung said. “But now education officials are using this coercive method, and it’s a big step backward,” he added.

According to Yeung, Hong Kong authorities are taking the national security education as a political assignment, and therefore apply high pressure and harsh measures on students, just as they have done to Hong Kong adults.

“These officials do whatever it takes to complete their political tasks,” Yeung said.

He expressed concern that, as a result of the education mandates, Hong Kong students may be turned into “Little Pinks”  and become the laughing stock of Hong Kong.

“Little Pinks” is the name given to China’s hyper-nationalist, pro-CCP youth. They resent Western democracies and feel proud of China’s economic achievements, and ignore all social injustices and human rights abuses under the communist rule.

Universities used to be the most free and open places in Hong Kong, but the newly introduced national security courses have not met any opposition from students or student unions in any of the universities, indicating that the authorities’ previous suppression of students have created an atmosphere of terror, as To Kwan Hang Andrew, the former secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, told Radio Free Asia.

“In the past, when a university wanted to add such a highly politically sensitive course, it had to consult the student union. And if the university attempted to skip the consultation step, the student union would definitely take action, such as campus gatherings and forums, to pressure the school. But now the courses can be implemented with just a single order. This is a big retrogression,” he said.

Fewer Students

Hong Kong schools have experienced a serious loss of teachers and students in recent years, but authorities deny that it is related to the political situation, insisting it’s because of a “structural population decline.”

Hong Kong legislators and high school principals have been discussing the problem of declining student numbers.

Legislative Council member Chu Kwok-keung has suggested that the education bureau strengthen support for schools by admitting cross-boundary students, and allowing Hong Kong schools to recruit mainland students from southern China.

But To Kwan Hang Andrew believes that Hong Kong schools have already lost their attractiveness for mainland students.

“Under the National Security Law, the Hong Kong government will definitely further tighten its control in education and other ideological fields and turn Hong Kong universities into Chinese universities. European and American exchange students will not choose to study in Hong Kong. Moreover, I believe that even mainland Chinese students will be less likely to consider attending schools in Hong Kong for higher education,” To said.