EJ Insight » Hong KongToday, 12:56 PM
Danny Chan and his daughter Kitty (inset) attend a Legco hearing Sunday. The girl goes to Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road). Photos: Wikipedia, HKEJ
The day after a pro-establishment party official and his daughter spoke up in favor of the controversial Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) at a public hearing, the girl’s school issued a statement distancing itself from his remarks.
Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road) said Monday that the opinions expressed by Danny Chan Chung-cheung, deputy spokesman for economic development policy for the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), were his own and did not represent those of the school, Apple Daily reported Tuesday.
Chan, whose daughter Kitty is a Primary 4 student at the school, spoke in support of the TSA, an annual exam given to Primary 3 students, at the Legislative Council hearing Sunday, as did his daughter, reading from a script prepared by her father.
He said he had never heard any parent in face-to-face or WhatsApp conversations saying the TSA should be abolished.
Chan said he only told the truth and that there are about 20 or 30 parents in his WhatsApp group, although he admitted not every one of them had responded.
On the day it made its statement, the school published on its website the results of a survey it had conducted.
Of 340 households interviewed at a parent-teacher association meeting Nov. 27, 52 percent of the respondents agreed the TSA should be abolished, while 20 percent thought things should be kept as they are.
Some other parents suggested that the curriculum be adjusted to avoid overdrilling for the exam.
Chan agreed that the school’s survey gives a more comprehensive view of parents’ opinions.
He apologized to parents and the school for the inconvenience caused by his words.
DAB chairwoman Starry Lee Wai-king said Chan is a parent and is therefore has the right to express his views.
She said people should not label someone as a bad guy simply because he or she is from the DAB.
About 70 parents of students from three schools in Tai Po district are planning to launch a classroom boycott.
The three schools concerned said they will monitor how things develop.
Lo Sau-chee, principal of Hong Kong & Kowloon Kaifong Women’s Association Sun Fong Chung Primary School, said the school will try to communicate with the parents.
Lo insisted that TSA exercises are only conducted during the long holidays.
Tai Po Methodist School and Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Primary School said they have not been notified of any plans to boycott classes but said they will look into the matter.
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