Hong Kong says school children sang anthem too softly
Hong Kong says school children sang anthem too softly
Officials advise teachers to help students "cultivate habit and confidence" while singing anthem.
Hong Kong officials have singled out at least two schools for singing the Chinese national anthem "too softly".
Teachers at a third school have been asked to help students "cultivate habit and confidence" in singing it.
Hong Kong has redoubled the emphasis on "patriotic" education since 2020 when China cracked down on the city's pro-democracy movement.
Officials said students' voices at the Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church Primary School were "soft and weak" and "should be strengthened". At Yan Chai Hospital Lim Por Yen Secondary School, teachers were told to "help students develop the habit of singing the national anthem loudly in unison".
Shit like this is why the kneeling protests in the states never bothered me. I’m proud to live in a country with freedom of expression. This kind of forced nationalism is a cancer
Don’t American school kids all have to like salute their flag and pledge themselves or some shit each morning?
It’s not mandatory but yeah. Some dumb fuck teachers and administrators have tried to make it mandatory but the courts never agree with them. It’s a weird Cold War relic I wish would just go away.
Lmao @ the Americans getting all uncomfortable trying to weasel out of this
Yeah bullshit it’s “not mandatory,” how can you have such a basic denial of reality?
Totally optional, that’s why every time some kid understands and abstains, the teachers and other students bully them mercilessly, give them detention, suspension, expulsion, and it makes national news whenever someone actually tries.
I bet joining the NSDAP was fucking optional too, don’t try to deny your christofascism that everyone just accepts because somehow it’s better when America does it
To add onto what other commenters said:
- It isn't legally mandated, only customary
- If it was mandatory, such a mandate would probably be illegal
- Plenty of teachers and school officials (but not most) will be pissed/will punish you if you don't do the pledge.
It's something some schools do. It's not mandated by the government.
To an extent, but you expect demands for hegemony from western imperialists.
In the Hong Kong case, it's the government - an agent of the people - which is just enforcing the desire of the people to praise the revolution. It's not that the kids can't sing softly. It's that if they sing softly it's because of the lingering influence of the colonizers. Therefore they need re-education until their minds are properly free.
Well, no, but actually yes
No
The Pledge of Allegiance has entered the chat.
I'm aware it isn't mandatory, but no one made that clear to me when I was a kid.
They just "encourage" you to do it and if you get bullied for remaining seated, the school will ignore the bullies even more than usual.
I’m aware it isn’t mandatory
Here is a breakdown of laws in 47 states that require reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
I live in New York, one of the most northern and blue states around, and have my entire life. In 7th grade I decided I didn't like saying the Pledge of Allegiance, the name alone sounded odd to me, like why are children pledging themselves to a country, when we can't even really understand what that means? So I stopped.
The school staff lost their minds.
Luckily my parents taught me to be firm in my beliefs, if I had truely thought about them and believed them. So I stuck to my choice, and my parents backed me up on it when they arrived at the school 45 minutes after the Pledge normally ended.
On a side note, I had read ahead in my Social Studies textbook that week, and learned about Nationalism in Nazi Germany, and it had sounded strangly familiar to me. Not long after the Pledge of Allegiance incident happened.
Shit like this is why the kneeling protests in the states never bothered me.
Nationalism is a fucking curse. It drives people insane. These guys don't love our country enough. Those guys love their country TOO MUCH. Its all so miserable and awful for everyone involved.
I’m proud to live in a country with freedom of expression.
Freedom to say anything that doesn't upset the rich and powerful. Freedom to speak anywhere that the police won't arrest you and the corporations can't ban you. Freedom to travel anywhere your credit card can afford to send you and the State Department hasn't banned you from going. Freedom to express yourself in any way that some Christian Fundamentalist doesn't think will unduly influence his little rugrats.
Unlimited, Unconditional, Unparalleled Freedom (*)
- Limits and Conditions still apply. Please consult your local boss or party apparatchik for further details.
Civil liberties are definitely something that have to be continuously fought for. You’re right that there are a lot of elements that would love to see many go away. Abortion is only the start.
I embarrassed the COO of a large organization once in front of approximately half of that organization's management. Managed to get away with it. So yes, I can say with some certainty that being able to stand up and freely express yourself is character building and, frankly, fucking awesome.
It’s also a strength. Places where you can’t criticize things is how you end up with a the emperor has no clothes situation where harm gets perpetuated just because there isn’t psychological safety for people to feel comfortable to speak out.
Even having an anthem, being bullied into putting your hand over your heart, making children onesie allegiance, is all indoctrination to nationalism. It's horrible.
Lmao 'bullied'?
They gave you swirlies until you caved, didn't they?
Not singing loud enough - straight to jail.
Surprisingly, singing too loud? Also straight to jail.
We have the best national anthem, because of jail.
Real "please clap" energy
Ah, an excuse to attack an organisation that worships something other than Mighty Xi and the CCP.
Using children as the pawns too. Masterful.
I remember getting scolded for not singing O Canada properly.
Why is this even a story? This shit happens in schools because wrestling kids to do stuff is hard.
Oh wait, I forgot, China bad.
.ml
cute
Did a non-teacher, government official scold you directly? No? Ok, not the same thing then.
non-teacher, government official
Do Principals count? How about Superintendents? State legislators who pass these pledge mandates? What about the school cop who comes to get you after the teacher writes you up? Or the cop in the ISS classroom who holds you until your parents pick you up? Or the school administrator who processes your expulsion?
Does the principle count, or do you consider that a teacher? What about the superintendent?
People want to make a good impression on their superiors. There's nothing wrong with that.
Oh wait, I forgot, China bad.
Our Patriotic Anthem
Their Nefarious Brainwashing
Oh oh say, can you see!? By the dawn's early light 🕯️.....
For all her reputation of being the Iron Lady Thatcher really pussied out of standing up to china on this.
Like could you imagine the difference if the UK had someone with some fucking backbone back then that didn't sell Hong Kong to its Doom?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Hong Kong has redoubled the emphasis on "patriotic" education since 2020 when China cracked down on the city's pro-democracy movement.
Officials said students' voices at the Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church Primary School were "soft and weak" and "should be strengthened".
At Yan Chai Hospital Lim Por Yen Secondary School, teachers were told to "help students develop the habit of singing the national anthem loudly in unison".
Many former opposition lawmakers and democracy campaigners have been jailed since 2020 under a controversial national security law that criminalised all forms of dissent.
More recently, it banned what has effectively been the city's unofficial anthem, a protest song called Glory to Hong Kong, because of its "seditious" possibilities.
In November last year, the bureau introduced a new subject which would require students as young as eight to start learning about the Beijing-enacted security law.
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