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Wednesday, August 21, 2019, 18:50
Parents fear political disputes in HK will lead to bullying
By Staffer Writer
Wednesday, August 21, 2019, 18:50 By Staffer Writer

A growing number of parents in Hong Kong have expressed fears that their children might be subjected to bullying on campus if they hold different political views or refuse to participate in anti-government demonstrations, the city’s largest political party said on Tuesday.

The most vulnerable are the police officers’ schoolchildren whose personal information, including names, schools, home addresses and appearances, has been leaked and circulated on the internet, according to the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

As a new school year approaches, the party urged the Education Bureau, schools and members of Hong Kong society to protect the city’s young generation from being bullied by their classmates or even some politically biased teachers.

Boycotting classes would only hurt school operations and deprive students of the right to study ...  It is inappropriate to turn schools into places where people pursue their political agendas

Kevin Yeung Yun-hung

Secretary for Education 

Yeung said it is inappropriate to turn schools into places where people pursue their political agendas.

The past two months have seen many police officers and their family members being cyberbullied with extreme verbal violence in the wake of escalating anti-government sentiment. Since June 9, personal information — including phone numbers, addresses and identities documents — of more than 1,200 police officers and their family members was leaked online and even posted in public places, according to a police announcement on Aug 1. There were also cases of people receiving death threats.

In the meantime, the call by radicals for students and teachers to boycott classes also drew criticism and objections from the city’s head of education.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said boycotting classes would only hurt school operations and deprive students of the right to study. It will also create emotional stress for them and destabilize the peace and harmony on campuses, he said.

Yeung said it is inappropriate to turn schools into places where people pursue their political agendas. Moreover, no one should use the students to pressure the government, he added.

Echoing Yeung, lawmaker Elizabeth Quat told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon that students might be subject to emotional stress and threats to their personal safety due to bullying and discrimination.

Quat said she has recently received more than 100 complaints from parents.

The Education Bureau has been advised to investigate all reported cases, and it has set up an assistance hotline and will provide psychological care services.

DAB Vice-Chairman Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan said “it’s absolutely unacceptable to disseminate hatred to the next generation.”

Cheung said politics should be kept outside the campus because teaching and learning are always the priorities. There are various ways students can express their political views, but not at school or university, he added.

Many local groups have also expressed concerns about school bullying. Stanley Ng Chau-pei, Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress, told the media on Friday that Safeguard Hong Kong, a civil group active in anti-violence campaigns, will hold an anti-bullying and anti-violence campaign on campus.

jefferygu@chinadailyhk.com


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