By government decree your child must be taught in school how to obey National Security Law

^{Kevin Yeung, Secretary of Education Photo: RTHK}

All school children from six years of age must be taught about the national security law, the Government has decreed. Every school will have to adapt its curriculum to effect this, including international schools. Children will learn to beware of “subversion” and “foreign interference”.  Books considered dangerous to the State must be thrown out.

This week Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung has spoken on how national security and national education must be interlinked. The Education Bureau has been busy sending directives to school administrators.

“. . . At the earliest stage, such as primary schools, I think students could start to learn HK is part of China,” Mr Yeung said. They are HK residents but also Chinese citizens.

On 4 February, the Education Bureau issued circulars to schools saying they must devise measures to ensure students learn about national security. Schools must also prevent political or other illegal activity. “Safeguarding national sovereignty, security . . . is also the common responsibility of all HK residents (including school staff and students). The fundamentals of national security are to develop in students a sense of belonging to the country, an affection for the Chinese people, a sense of national identity, as well as an awareness and sense of responsibility for safeguarding national security.”

The Bureau said it is updating curriculum documents to help primary and secondary schools implement national security education. It issued examples of how national security education can be integrated into General Studies for primary kids and Biology and Geography for secondary children. More would be coming on other subjects, it said. Three hours of lessons entitled “Supplement: National Security” must be taught to junior secondary kids. Primary children will be given an audiobook “Let’s Learn about National Security”. School staff will have to attend Education Bureau briefings and launch development programmes.

For more see www.news.gov.hk or go to the Education Bureau’s website.