Richard Pyne reports
The majority of secondary school teachers surveyed by the University of Hong Kong say there has not been any long-term damage caused by last year's Occupy Movement. Instead, they say the civil disobedience campaign has raised students' awareness of social issues.
The survey of 131 principals and 1,411 secondary school teachers from 168 secondary schools was aimed at giving a better understanding of what happened at secondary schools during the Occupy Movement.
The director of the university's Education Policy Unit, Cheng Kai-ming, said the study was prompted by rumours that students participating in the Occupy Movement had been steered that way by their teachers.
Nine out of ten principals received requests for class boycotts in school. Seven out of ten allowed students to take part – on school premises – but only with their parents' consent. The survey showed that most principals tried to turn the event into a learning experience and believed schools should remain politically neutral.
The chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, Lee Suet-ying, said it was difficult to reconcile different opinions on how such an issue should be handled.
The survey showed that schools have generally returned to normal, with no major lasting damage. Forty-nine percent of teachers said the Occupy Movement has not had any impact on students' academic studies, and 51 percent said there has been no change in the relationship between teachers and students.
The survey of 131 principals and 1,411 secondary school teachers from 168 secondary schools was aimed at giving a better understanding of what happened at secondary schools during the Occupy Movement.
The director of the university's Education Policy Unit, Cheng Kai-ming, said the study was prompted by rumours that students participating in the Occupy Movement had been steered that way by their teachers.
Nine out of ten principals received requests for class boycotts in school. Seven out of ten allowed students to take part – on school premises – but only with their parents' consent. The survey showed that most principals tried to turn the event into a learning experience and believed schools should remain politically neutral.
The chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, Lee Suet-ying, said it was difficult to reconcile different opinions on how such an issue should be handled.
The survey showed that schools have generally returned to normal, with no major lasting damage. Forty-nine percent of teachers said the Occupy Movement has not had any impact on students' academic studies, and 51 percent said there has been no change in the relationship between teachers and students.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1218955-20151022.htm
