Protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” is political propaganda and should not be allowed at school, Education Secretary Kevin Yeung said.

This comment came as Yeung announced a new mandatory training program on professional conduct and national development for teachers. In a separate letter, he also asked schools to discipline any students or teachers who plan to join a strike over the city’s new national security law.

In a letter issued to schools on Thursday, Yeung said students should be discouraged from spreading political messages at school, and political songs such as “Glory to Hong Kong” should be banned.

The song, written by an anonymous local musician, has become the anthem for the ongoing anti-government protests since it was first released in September. Yeung described it as “clearly propaganda.”

However, Yeung said songs from the musical “Les Misérables” could be allowed even though they contain revolutionary messages. It depends on the context and purpose of the time, he said. One of its principal songs “Do You Hear the People Sing?” has been sung by protesters in Hong Kong.

When asked if students would be allowed to sing “Love Basic Law” — a Canto-pop song released in 2006 to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law — Yeung said the song promotes the rule of law and should not be considered political.

Meanwhile, teachers were told that they would be required to attend a mandatory training program from September. The 30-hour training segment for newly recruited teachers could take the form of workshops, seminars, lectures and online learning sessions. It will cover teachers’ professional identity and conduct, local education policies and national and international education development.

Currently employed teachers would be required to complete a minimum of 30 hours on professional roles, values and conduct, as well as local, national and international education issues.

The Education Bureau said the measures were drawn from recommendations from the Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers. However, task force member Cheung Yui-fai said the bureau was only using their recommendations for political purposes. Professional Teachers’ Union president Fung Wai-wah also criticized the bureau for not consulting teachers in advance.

Separately, Yeung said on a radio program on Thursday that teachers should not participate in any strikes and cannot take holidays except for urgent matters. Yeung’s comment was in response to a student group’s plan to boycott classes in protest of the new national security law.

The new law, rubber-stamped by the Chinese parliament, bans subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign interference. It has caused grave concerns over its impact on civil liberties in the semi-autonomous city.

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