Hong Kong education bureau to remove books with subversive content

The bureau vowed to remove any books found to contain content that encourages subversion, terrorist activities, collusion with foreign forces, or other illegal content forbidden by the National Security Law.

The Hong Kong education bureau has vowed to remove textbooks and reading materials in schools that involve inciting subversion, separatism and other illegal content forbidden by the newly enacted National Security Law, and will regularly check if such books exist within campuses.

Reading materials provided to students should match the curriculum and have suitable content, and school administrations should also regularly check students’ books to ensure they are appropriate for lessons, the bureau told the Global Times on Monday.

The bureau vowed to remove any books found to contain content that encourages subversion, terrorist activities, collusion with foreign forces, or other illegal content forbidden by the newly enacted National Security Law, unless the content aims to explain the law to students.

Tang Fei, principal of Hong

Kong’s Heung To Secondary School (Tseung Kwan O), and a member of the council of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said that it is the same as schools being asked to reject books on pornography and violence.

“If those books are not allowed on campus, why should books that incite independence be allowed? Also, the newly enacted National Security Law has said clearly what kind of behavior is considered to endanger national security,” Tang said.

The national security law said that the Hong Kong government should raise residents’ national security and legal consciousness through schools, social organizations, media and websites.

The education bureau said it will step up measures to enhance students’ sense of national identity, and will seek advice from relevant policy bureaus as soon as possible for detailed guidelines on how to enhance students’ national security and law-abiding awareness.