Hong Kong students should sing the national anthem “with emotion” when schools conduct flag-raising ceremonies, said the city’s education chief.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin issued the reminder, noting some students might be confused about whether they had to sing during the ceremonies.
“On some occasions, we call it ‘playing the national anthem’. On others, we call it ‘playing and singing that national anthem’,” Choi told a radio show.
“Sometimes, students may be unaware of the occasion. Students sing in a low voice and are unsure whether they should sing it or not. After a reminder, everyone knows they should sing the national anthem solemnly and with emotion during the ceremony.”
Choi added that the Education Bureau had earlier advised schools to hold a national flag-raising ceremony on important occasions, including the first day of school.
Asked if schools would need to tell the bureau whether they had followed the advice, Choi said she believed those in the education sector would do so for their own records.
The bureau had also reached out to schools and parents about preparations for the new academic year, she said.
Education authorities in June accused students at two schools of singing the national anthem too softly and told teachers at another institution to help their pupils develop the habit of performing the song with confidence.
Four years ago, the bureau issued a guideline to stipulate schools must display the national flag and play the anthem during celebrations for New Year’s Day, the anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule on July 1 and National Day on October 1.
Beyond the first day of the academic year, schools were also strongly advised to carry out the formal protocol during “important days and special occasions”. These include open days, graduation ceremonies, swimming galas, sports days and school anniversary events.
National education policies have been fully implemented in schools since the 2022-23 academic year. The bureau has said institutions should plan and review the curriculum with reference to the framework for national security law education set out in 2021, nearly a year after the Beijing-imposed legislation came into force.
The government in April also established a working group on patriotic education to promote patriotism in school education, the local community and media publicity.
Minister Choi, who also sits on the group, said the work was “on track”, which included incorporating such elements into the school curriculum and extracurricular activities to deepen students’ understanding of the country.
Some Hong Kong students singing national anthem too quietly, Education Bureau says
“They will not be easily deceived by information on the internet,” she said.
She noted students would have a broader perspective of the world and their lives if they cultivated a sense of belonging to the country from childhood.
The minister also acknowledged that the city’s student population was declining and three to four secondary schools and about as many primary schools were expected to close in the coming five years.
She said authorities would not take the initiative to axe the schools and officials had been discussing with relevant operators about alternatives, such as merging the schools or gradually phasing them out.
Choi said the government would not focus on maintaining the number of schools in the city as it had no relation to the quality of teaching. Teachers would also be burdened if they had to spend their energy competing with other operators over enrolment.
The bureau in April projected the number of six-year-olds expected to start Primary One would drop from 49,600 this year to 31,500 in 2029, a 36 per cent decline.
Five schools could not receive government grants to run classes in the past academic year as they failed to secure at least 16 pupils, which is required to open a class.
