The prospect of a legal red line for teachers would leave many with little sense of what is allowed under the national security law, says a former Hong Kong liberal studies teacher after a senior mainland Chinese official encouraged firmer control of education.

The Hong Kong government can ensure the quality of education in four ways, including strengthening patriotism and awareness of the country, strengthening training for new teachers and promoting more teachers and principals to conduct exchanges with the mainland, according to Du Yubo, former vice-minister at the Chinese Ministry of Education.

In an interview with Commercial Radio, Du said it is a necessary requirement to nurture Hong Kong youth’s sense of patriotism and awareness of the country by establishing a sound education system compatible with “one country, two systems.”

The Hong Kong government can implement the provisions of the national security law related to education, Du said, including strengthening publicity work in schools on national security. By developing national security education in schools, the government can set a legal red line  for teachers on what is allowed to be taught in schools, he said.

But the problem with the national security law is that the line is blurred, said Raymond Yeung, a former liberal studies teacher at Diocesan Girls’ School.

“A lot of people don’t know where it is,” Yeung said. “Just like the 47 people who participated in the primary election. All of a sudden, they [the government] said that this was against the law.”

Yeung added that the Basic Law had always been a constitutional document with reasonable provisions guaranteeing human rights and universal suffrage, meaning that teachers did not object to promoting the Basic Law.

But under the national security law, Yeung said Hongkongers saw constant arrests and inability to get bail, which led to fear. He also mentioned the push among some in the pro-establishment camp for CCTV cameras to be installed in schools.

Yeung said that the prospect of national security education would create even more pressure for teachers and cause them to fear the possibility of reprisal later.

Yeung’s contract at Diocesan Girls’ School ended in August 2020 after the school opted not to renew it. He was allegedly injured by a police projectile during a protest in June 2019.

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