A teacher introduces himself to the students in a classroom at a secondary school, during the first day of the new term, in Hong Kong, China September 1, 2021. Picture taken September 1, 2021. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuHONG KONG, Sept 17 - For his last class in Hong Kong in July, liberal studies teacher Fong showed his students calligraphy by the territory's late democratic activist Szeto Wah: "Choose the right path and stick to it." He emigrated to Britain days later.
The Hong Kong Association of Heads of Secondary Schools warned the government in July that would cause a "brain drain" that would reduce the quality of education in the city. About 700,000 pupils attend 1,000 or so primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. The Professional Teachers' Union , which was Hong Kong's biggest union before it disbanded this month, said in May that 40% of teachers it surveyed wanted to leave the education sector.
"I do not want to teach my students values I do not believe in," said Kwok. "I do not want to be in danger." The EDB has replaced the subject of liberal studies - which it introduced in 2009 to increase social involvement and to develop critical thinking - with a smaller module called "citizenship and social development" which focuses on patriotism.
Some principals told Reuters that teacher turnover this summer was much higher than that. Dion Chen, chairman of Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, said many schools had five or six teacher resignations, with some reporting 15 to 20, more than in previous years. Not all were caused by emigration, he said, but the departures triggered "a musical-chair effect" of teachers changing jobs.
More will leave. No doubt. No one wants their children be educated under the tyranny regime. Also, teacher would never know when they cross the red line and they have a great chance to go to jail.