Peter Terpstra
2012-09-11 05:58:03 UTC
Anti-national education class strike gets support of university authorities.
Colleges to help students and staff take part in today's anti-national
education class strike
Several universities have thrown their support behind today's citywide
class boycott - the first in 20 years - as the organisers warn of
further strikes if Leung Chun-ying fails to scrap the national education
curriculum.
The chief executive responded on Saturday to massive protests by giving
schools discretion to choose whether or not to teach the subject.
But Johnson Yeung Ching-yin, president of Chinese University's student
union, said as long as the national education teaching guideline still
existed in the education bureau's framework, it might still be put into
practice.
"We think that [Leung's move] is a fake withdrawal and fake concession …
they are trying to divert anti-national education [sentiment] from the
government to the schools," said Yeung.
The four-hour boycott starts at 2pm and a rally will be held at Chinese
University's "Million Boulevard".
The Federation of Students expects a turnout of 1,000 participants, and
says more and more student groups are signing up to join the boycott.
Sung Jao-yiu, president of Chinese University, said yesterday: "The
university has always respected freedom of expression … we will provide
the necessary help [to the federation]."
He also said that if academic staff decided to take part, they could
inform the school and arrange catch-up classes.
Similarly, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
president Tony Chan Fan-cheong said his college "respects the students'
decision and will adopt an open attitude towards the strike".
"I admire their assertiveness in societal affairs. They show independent
thinking," he said.
Staff associations at City University and the Institute of Education
have issued internal e-mails to encourage academic staff to join the
boycott. Baptist University's staff union has also expressed support for
the action.
However, students at various universities had mixed opinions of the
campaign.
Brian Lo Hoi-yung, a final-year accountancy student at City University,
said the boycott was unnecessary as the government had backed down.
"This action has come too late. Last week, some activists did a [hunger
strike] already and the government responded by scrapping the three-year
trial period [for national education]," Lo said.
But Tony Lung Tin-keung, 20, a student at HKUST, disagreed.
"We understand that boycotting classes will not sway the government's
stance. But what we would like to show is university students'
determination," he said. "Even if it's just one primary school, we are
determined to give them the freedom of thought they deserve."
http://tinyurl.com/crpxh62
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1033613/anti-national-education-class-strike-gets-support-university
Colleges to help students and staff take part in today's anti-national
education class strike
Several universities have thrown their support behind today's citywide
class boycott - the first in 20 years - as the organisers warn of
further strikes if Leung Chun-ying fails to scrap the national education
curriculum.
The chief executive responded on Saturday to massive protests by giving
schools discretion to choose whether or not to teach the subject.
But Johnson Yeung Ching-yin, president of Chinese University's student
union, said as long as the national education teaching guideline still
existed in the education bureau's framework, it might still be put into
practice.
"We think that [Leung's move] is a fake withdrawal and fake concession …
they are trying to divert anti-national education [sentiment] from the
government to the schools," said Yeung.
The four-hour boycott starts at 2pm and a rally will be held at Chinese
University's "Million Boulevard".
The Federation of Students expects a turnout of 1,000 participants, and
says more and more student groups are signing up to join the boycott.
Sung Jao-yiu, president of Chinese University, said yesterday: "The
university has always respected freedom of expression … we will provide
the necessary help [to the federation]."
He also said that if academic staff decided to take part, they could
inform the school and arrange catch-up classes.
Similarly, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
president Tony Chan Fan-cheong said his college "respects the students'
decision and will adopt an open attitude towards the strike".
"I admire their assertiveness in societal affairs. They show independent
thinking," he said.
Staff associations at City University and the Institute of Education
have issued internal e-mails to encourage academic staff to join the
boycott. Baptist University's staff union has also expressed support for
the action.
However, students at various universities had mixed opinions of the
campaign.
Brian Lo Hoi-yung, a final-year accountancy student at City University,
said the boycott was unnecessary as the government had backed down.
"This action has come too late. Last week, some activists did a [hunger
strike] already and the government responded by scrapping the three-year
trial period [for national education]," Lo said.
But Tony Lung Tin-keung, 20, a student at HKUST, disagreed.
"We understand that boycotting classes will not sway the government's
stance. But what we would like to show is university students'
determination," he said. "Even if it's just one primary school, we are
determined to give them the freedom of thought they deserve."
http://tinyurl.com/crpxh62
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1033613/anti-national-education-class-strike-gets-support-university