London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Are Hong Kong’s teachers radicalising youth? Claim draws war of words

Are Hong Kong’s teachers radicalising youth? Claim draws war of words

CY Leung says elements of the profession are polluting young minds. Lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen counters, saying radicalism is being fuelled by government’s contempt for the public.

A war of words erupted on Sunday between former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying and a lawmaker representing teachers after the ex-leader accused elements of the profession of radicalising the city’s youth.

Leung also defended his controversial naming and shaming on Facebook of 18 teachers charged over last year’s anti-government protests, a move critics likened to Cultural Revolution-era persecution.

Lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, of the Professional Teachers’ Union, which has a 100,000-strong membership, accused Leung of hypocrisy for ignoring the government’s role in driving young people to radicalism.

Leung told a radio programme on Sunday that while social unrest had broken out in many parts of the world, only Hong Kong’s protests
involved the arrest of more than 1,000 under 18s and over 100 schoolteachers.

“We have to admit that there must be something wrong with Hong Kong’s education,” said Leung, who is now vice-chairman of Beijing’s advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

“Where do the arrested young people learn this from? Who are their ‘close contacts’? I believe a fair portion of them are teachers and they are the black sheep.”

The privacy commissioner said it had received 17 complaints about Leung’s disclosure on his Facebook page of the personal details of teachers charged in relation to the protests.

But the former leader denied he had breached privacy laws, insisting he simply collated the information from existing media reports.

Citing a British example, Leung said the country’s Teaching Regulation Agency routinely published the names of teachers under investigation. He argued parents had the right to know the identity of these teachers so they could protect their children.

Leung’s latest remarks drew strong criticism from opposition lawmaker Ip, who represents the education sector in the Legislative Council.

Ip argued that it was the government’s disregard of public opinion and police’s abuse of power that was fuelling the radicalisation of the city’s young people.

“It is hypocritical for Leung to pretend he does not see the crux of the problem and selectively attack teachers,” he said on social media.

Ip also slammed Leung for failing to acknowledge that the Teaching Regulation Agency he cited did not allow anonymous complaints and also had a fair-hearing mechanism.

Leung has been actively pushing the government to publicly identify teachers involved in professional misconduct, and their schools, amid opposition from education officials citing privacy and other concerns.

The 803 Funds Limited – the group the former city leader founded last year to trace anti-government protesters allegedly involved in criminality – earlier applied to the High Court seeking a judicial review to force education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung to publish the teachers’ details.

Earlier this month, a teacher from the private Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong became the first to be taken off the professional register for “promoting Hong Kong independence” in the classroom.

The staff member was said to have posed four questions to Primary Five pupils studying life education after showing them a television documentary featuring pro-independence activist Andy Chan Ho-tin, including asking them whether they agreed with his banned party’s manifesto.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×