Protests against national education

Bob Choi

5 September 2012

I don't know how many of us are paying attention to the recent sit-in and hunger strikes in protest against national education in Hong Kong. The movement seems to have picked up steam despite of the government holding firm on their initiative. While I understand national education will come to Hong Kong only as a matter of time, my fundamental concern is that we must make a distinction between national education and party education: the former is learning about China as a nation, as a people in an objective context; the latter is learning about the communist party and its doctrines and its role in shaping China. As long as the communist party is synonymous with "China" under its one-party rule, I don't see how we can differentiate between the two and teach our children about China in an objective manner while Big Brother is watching over our shoulders. To believe otherwise is not only foolish but dangerous. Please, please just look at all the political prisoners held by the government todate.

In a society where people managed to voice out their opinions against the government, my money will always be on the people (and not the government). Look at Martin Luther King, the Vietnam War protestors, Ghandi, Mandella... they all had to sacrifice a great deal before they overcame the obstacles and achieved their goals, but they were victorious at the end.

What sort of national education do they have in China? I am not sure, but whatever it is, I don't think it's been very effective.

We can all see the results: With its rampant government corruption, business malfesance and breakdown of social value, I don't think China under the current government is a very good example for us to follow as far as national education goes... or should I say: they need national education much more than we do. Ha! Ha!

But then what do I know? I am just a "banana" (yellow on the outside, white inside) who had been poisoned by the British colonial government as a child and spent too much time in the U.S. and had shamelessly adopted the Western culture. They should put my picture in the national education textbook and label it in bold letters: "Bad Apple"