‘National Security Law’ enforces mandatory curricula upon Hong Kong universities

Taipei City, Taiwan/Vienna, Austria – Hongkongers who study in universities abroad, especially in Taiwan and Austria, have started expressing their concern and dissatisfaction about the imminent change in university curricula induced by the so-called “National Security Law.”

The Law is pushing the government to tighten its grip and control over universities.

Prof. Barbara Schulte, a lecturer about international education at the University of Vienna, said that the “ideologicalization” of school curricula might affect the overall quality of education, adding that many parents are now considering putting their children in international schools that are away from the sway of the government.

She said the parents tend to be concerned their children would not be able to focus on education materials if this continues. The schools, however, are too expensive, she said, putting extra pressure on families.

“Starting in primary school, there has quite a several publications. Also, I think in an audiobook with the title ‘let’s learn about national security. What you can see is really that those materials try to reintroduce the idea of the Chinese communist party as the leader back into the students’ minds,” Schulte said.

Anson Wong, a Hong Kong student who studies in Taiwan, said that freedom of speech at school was heavily impacted, as the students would not be at liberty to speak their minds.

Tan Ko-him, a member of the Economic Democracy Union, said that the government is no longer tolerating students. “They were seen as other people in society. The National Security Law and other laws would even be harsher on them,” he added.