New: You can now listen to articles.HONG KONG: She had been a teacher in Hong Kong for 17 years. But a year ago, Lo Kit Ling packed her bags and left for the United Kingdom.
While the Hong Kong Education Policy Concern Organisation — which advises the government on educational matters — stopped short of calling the resignations a crisis, chairman Mervyn Cheung acknowledged that the increase was “quite substantial”. While teaching is considered a stressful profession with some degree of attrition, a survey conducted in 2021 found that 40 per cent of Hong Kong teachers planned or wanted to leave their jobs.
Under Article 9 of the law, the Hong Kong government shall take “necessary measures to strengthen public communication, guidance, supervision and regulation” on national security matters, including those relating to schools and universities.One subject in particular came under scrutiny: liberal studies, introduced as a core subject to secondary school students in 2009.
Unable to bear “such suppression and restriction”, Lo uprooted and headed for England to “find a place I can get back to myself”. “Though the British had implemented ‘colonial rule’ over Hong Kong since 1842, they did not hold the sovereignty of Hong Kong. Therefore, Britain did not have the right to allow Hong Kong to become self-governing.”
This has created an atmosphere where teachers and students find it hard to trust one another, he feels. “Suppression and concern are growing on campuses.”Previously “many” school leaders and teachers knew little about national education topics such as Chinese history and how the Chinese Communist Party came about, said Hui Wai Tin, a former lecturer in education studies at the Hong Kong Baptist University.National education “isn’t unique to Hong Kong”, noted Legislative Council member Regina Ip.
Along with the increased departure of teachers, there has been a decrease in student enrolment owing to the emigration wave and Hong Kong’s declining fertility rate, which stood at 0.772 births per woman in 2021. At Tsuen Wan Trade Association Primary School, principal Chow Kim-ho has taken the changes in his stride. Although leading a team of less experienced teachers “can be challenging”, they are “ideal” when it comes to energy levels.