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”.

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    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

    • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      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.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      01·
      3 months ago

      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.
  • nekandro@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    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.

    • Ech@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      Did a non-teacher, government official scold you directly? No? Ok, not the same thing then.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
        01·
        3 months ago

        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?