Teachers in Hong Kong Urged to Steer Clear of US Independence Day Events Amid Security Fears
So, something quite unsettling is making headlines in Hong Kong right now. According to recent reports, teachers across the city are being cautioned—or rather warned—against participating in US Independence Day celebrations. The concern? National security. Yes, that’s right. Attending a Fourth of July barbecue or event organized by the US consulate might now be seen as a potential breach of Hong Kong’s national security law.
The warning allegedly came through messages from school principals to teaching staff, echoing advice reportedly handed down by the Education Bureau’s regional offices. In one example, a principal urged teachers not just to avoid US Independence Day events themselves, but also to actively dissuade students from attending. The reasoning, as cited in the message, was to "avoid violating the national security law and Hong Kong laws." It's a stark shift from what most would consider normal cultural engagement to a high-alert political red zone.
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These messages first came to light on a Facebook page called Edu Lancet, run by Hans Yeung—a former subject manager at the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. Yeung, now living in the UK, has been openly critical of Hong Kong’s education reforms and uses the page to expose what he sees as troubling trends within the school system. Unsurprisingly, he’s been on the receiving end of accusations from Hong Kong officials, with the security secretary even claiming he’s been “inciting” unrest from abroad.
Although the Education Bureau hasn’t directly confirmed or denied the authenticity of these directives, they did double down in their public response. They emphasized that schools have a responsibility to act as “gatekeepers” of national security, enforcing heightened sensitivity among both teachers and students. They also mentioned “clear guidelines” requiring schools to establish mechanisms that suppress or prevent actions seen as harmful to national security. What those actions specifically include remains vague, though.
All of this ties into a broader overhaul of Hong Kong’s education system that has been underway since the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Since then, Beijing’s grip on the city has tightened significantly. National security teachings are now embedded across multiple subjects—from English to music to even physical education. New teachers are now required to pass a test on Hong Kong’s Basic Law and the national security legislation before entering the profession. And books deemed “undesirable” or politically sensitive have been banned, including, remarkably, a picture book about sheep created by a physiotherapists’ union.
The bigger question this raises is: where is the line between education and indoctrination? And what message does it send when teachers—some of the most respected figures in society—are told they may be violating laws just by attending a cultural event hosted by a foreign government?
This isn’t just about a holiday anymore. It’s about how tightly Hong Kong is drawing the boundaries around what is acceptable, and how those boundaries are now creeping into places as unexpected as the schoolyard and the classroom. Whether you're a teacher, a parent, or just someone watching from afar, it’s a sobering reminder of how political climates can reshape even the most routine parts of life.
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