Hong Kong News
Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
Real, Diverse, Unbiased.
Education chief slams "excessive" on school suspending students over flag ceremony
The educational chief said schools should not be "overreacted" on national education, citing the incident of St. Francis Xavier's School in Tsuen Wan that suspended 14 students from school for three days over "disrespectful behaviours" towards the national anthem and the flag-raising ceremony.
In a radio programme on Sunday, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said that national education aimed to cultivate the young generation with patriotism, and the government would support schools with better professionalism in national education.
"The disciplines are not meant to punish students but help them better understand the national anthem and flag," Choi said.
"However, there is room for improvement when schools enforce the rules," she said, noting the involved St. Francis Xavier's School has launched an investigation.
Choi added the education authority would strengthen the conduct guidelines and training for national security education on teachers.
On October 5, 14 secondary students were learned to be suspended from classes for three days due to their "disrespectful behaviours" towards the flag-raising ceremony.
However, one of the 14 students, who subbed his name as Anthony, said he and the 13 others were "just eating breakfast" on the playground and had not realized a flag-raising ceremony was taking place until the vice principal ordered them to stand up and imposed the punishment.
"The disciplines are not meant to punish students but help them better understand the national anthem and flag," Choi said.
"However, there is room for improvement when schools enforce the rules," she said, noting the involved St. Francis Xavier's School has launched an investigation.
Choi added the education authority would strengthen the conduct guidelines and training for national security education on teachers.
On October 5, 14 secondary students were learned to be suspended from classes for three days due to their "disrespectful behaviours" towards the flag-raising ceremony.
However, one of the 14 students, who subbed his name as Anthony, said he and the 13 others were "just eating breakfast" on the playground and had not realized a flag-raising ceremony was taking place until the vice principal ordered them to stand up and imposed the punishment.
