weekly
Written by: Chen Zhiyong
2019-12-04 18:48
Last updated: 2019-12-04 18:53One stone provoked a thousand waves, and the conflict caused by the revision of the Fugitive Offenders Regulations continued to heat up. Netizens called for "three strikes" in Hong Kong. The Education Bureau also announced that classes would be suspended due to traffic paralysis. Anti-Amendment campaign lasted nearly half a year, and resistance was everywhere. Since the beginning of September, in addition to university campuses, various actions to express political aspirations have sprung up in middle schools. Some commentators believe that "politics goes to politics, education goes to education", and they are urged not to bring politics to campus. Others have argued that politics and education are mutually exclusive and that "not talking about politics" deprives students of their rights. The debate between education and politics is lingering. How to negate the relationship between China and China is an unavoidable lesson in this social storm.
The Centre for Communication and Opinion of the Chinese University of Hong Kong released an on-site investigation report on the "Anti-Fugitive Offenders Ordinance Demonstration Demonstration". The team conducted 12 questionnaire surveys from June 9 to August 4 at a number of anti-revision law enforcement sites in Hong Kong. A total of 6,688 were recovered. Questionnaires. The study found that the majority of participants were young people, most of whom were between 20 and 30 years old, and those aged 19 or below ranged from 6% to 15.6%, reflecting that many students had participated in demonstrations.
There are endless debates between education and politics. Some commentators believe that "politics goes to politics, education goes to education", and they are urged not to bring politics into the campus. Others have suggested that politics and education are mutually exclusive. "Not talking about politics" deprives students of their rights. (Profile picture / Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
Before the beginning of school, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Zhang Jianzong, published a blog, pointing out that advocating campus strikes would destroy the quiet, harmonious, safe and inclusive learning environment, putting tremendous pressure on schools, teachers and students. "Schools are never an expression of political opinions. Or places of appeal should not be the venue of political wrestling ... Strikes will only interfere with the daily operation of the school and deprive students of normal learning opportunities, extend the social tension to the campus, affect student learning mood, and affect our next generation. There is no benefit to healthy growth. "
As of September, middle school students have stepped into the sight of the public and become the protagonists in the camera: students build human chains, organize sit-in strikes, wear helmets to participate in morning meetings, wear gas masks and sing slogans to slogan, express political demands with action. As the summer vacation ended, the protest movement entered the campus. Dozens of parents expressed their concerns, responded to online calls, rallied in Chater Garden, Central, and raised the banner of "anti-brainwashing and rejecting political invasion of campus". The organizer of the event, Liu Kecheng, put forward the "five major demands", stating that the Education Bureau should severely punish principals and teachers who violate professional ethics, strengthen supervision or revoke the liberal arts, and urge the Education Bureau to follow up on the issue of political invasion of campuses. She called on teachers to teach students to abide by the law, rather than instilling political messages on brainwashing.
Since the beginning of school in September, middle school students have entered the public's sight and become the protagonists of the camera. Students wear helmets to participate in morning meetings, wear gas masks to sing, hold umbrellas and shout slogans, organize strikes and build chain activities to express political aspirations through action. . (Profile picture / Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
When the public suggested that campuses should be insulated from politics, did they ever think about what it meant by "politics"? The sage Sun Yat-sen proposed, "Politicians, all people's affairs; governors, management also"; the philosopher Aristotle pointed out in "Politics" that "human beings are political animals by nature." Pursued; political philosopher Hannah Arendt proposed that politics is the participation of all equal and free people to collectively discuss and decide on important issues concerning the public. As long as we live in groups, we cannot avoid politics.
Politically dirty, students immature?
At the beginning of September, there was a student strike at Xiaoxiwan Zhonghua Fund Middle School. The head of the school running organization and former school supervisor Wu Shuqing said that the students who participated in the strike would be dropped out and the participating staff members would be dismissed. The next day, there were nearly 100 alumni and students from the same district outside the school to support the scene, silently standing outside the school gate and shouting slogans. Some people have criticized it as stifling student freedom and creating white terror.
In early October, the Board of Trustees of St. Paul's Co-educational High School sent a letter to parents criticizing students for wearing a mask to sit outside the school is illegal, and the school has the responsibility to guide students in expressing opinions in a legal manner. The school emphasizes that no one can use the school as a platform to declare a political position within the school. Without approval, activities cannot be held in the name of the school. Violators are deemed to violate school regulations and face disciplinary action. The anti-revision case concern group of 12 middle schools issued a joint statement immediately, criticizing the school board for protecting and suppressing the facts in order to restrain students from expressing their opinions.
Since the beginning of the school day, various actions to express political aspirations have sprung up in middle schools. How to negate the relationship between politics and education is an unavoidable lesson in this social storm. (Profile picture / Photo by Lu Yiming)
Campus as a public domain of learning, various politics have been staged in daily operations and classrooms, such as school class meetings and student unions, liberal arts and civic education are also ways for students to access political issues and related theories. The school may not want students to participate in social movements or publicly declare political positions based on school reputation and social pressure, and to prevent students from speaking out for various reasons, but avoiding strong suppression will only result in greater counterattacks.
Ye Jianyuan, a member of the education industry's legislative council, believes that prohibiting students from expressing opinions in schools will only lead to positive conflict. He suggested that students can express their needs when necessary, and the school should adopt a soft attitude. For example, students should build a human chain outside the campus before or after school, and their expressions have not interfered with the operation of the school, and the school should respect it. Schools can send teachers to observe the situation. If students have disputes with nearby residents, they can try to mediate to protect their personal safety.
Deng Zhenqiang, chairman of the Principals' Association of Secondary Schools, also said that the campus is a microcosm of society and students are members of society. When the social environment is turbulent, campuses are inevitably implicated. He understands that students' emotions are affected by social agitation and believes that schools can provide timely support and adopt a flexible approach.
For example, he said that most schools allow students to post propaganda statements that do not involve hatred, violence, misrepresentation, or political mobilization, such as posters with "Hong Kong people cheering on", which helps students express their appeals and channel emotions from a positive perspective.
As long as the poster does not involve political mobilization and hate violence, many schools allow students to set up a "Lennon Wall". (Profile picture / Photo by Lu Yiming)
Huang Yukun, a member of "Good Psychology" and an educational psychologist, believes that the biggest difference between young people and adults lies in life experience and burden. He pointed out that if you think that young people's participation in social movements is just a blind move, they will "snap their hats" on them.
He emphasized that there are numerous reasons why young people are keen on social movements. The implementation of general education on campus provides an opportunity for students to understand society and cultivate citizenship. Off campus, young people receive many channels of information, and the messages of social communication software prompt them to generate many ideas and actions.
The above excerpt is from the 191th issue of "Hong Kong 01" weekly report (December 1, 2019) "How to deal with when teachers enter politics on campus".
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Fugitive Ordinance Education Counter-Amendment Demonstration In-Depth Report 01 Weekly