31st July 2021 – (Hong Kong) The two Chinese media outlets in the Mainland, Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily, respectively published commentary articles yesterday (30th), criticising the operation of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union for deviating from its original purpose to become an out-and-out political organisation. One of them bluntly stated that Hong Kong education sector must clean up the source and get back on track and it is necessary to thoroughly investigate and eradicate the “malignant tumour”.
The Education Bureau announced today (31st) that it will completely terminate its working relationship with the Union and no longer regards it as an education professional organisation. According to the authorities, the Union claims to be a professional education organisation. Over the past few decades, the authorities have allowed it to participate in discussions, coordination, and conduct education-related work with other professional education organisations. However, the speech and actions of the Union in recent years are often inconsistent with the education profession, and are essentially no different from other political groups. In the past, the Union not only actively participated in the activities of Hong Kong Alliance and Civil Human Rights Union. It also promoted teachers to strike and infiltrate politics into the campus.
During the social unrest, some students and even teachers were affected to participate in violent and illegal activities. The bureau continued that it will not hold any formal or informal meetings with the Union or its representatives, and will not consult its opinions on education issues. It will not handle the cases or concerns raised by the Union for the time being, and the relevant parties can contact directly Education Bureau, related schools or organisations, etc.
The Bureau will also conduct a comprehensive review of the advisory organisations and related education organisations under its jurisdiction. If any member of the Union serves as a member or other position as a representative of the Union, the bureau will consider terminating his/her term of office, denying his/her membership or membership, and denying his/her participation in the relevant meeting. The person may be prevented from entering the office building of the Education Bureau for this purpose.
In principle, the Education Bureau no longer recognises the training courses organised by the Union for teachers.
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