Amid Beijing's new security law in Hong Kong, several teachers went to the streets and posted on social media to show their support of anti-government protests in the city. The educators, however, have been detained by law enforcement, some of which have lost their jobs as the Communist Party of China (CCP) continues its fight against oppositions.
A new era in Hong Kong
According to The Wall Street Journal, observers expressed their fears that the tradition of liberal education and critical thinking will be destroyed by the Chinese-style pro-CCP lessons and repression of political freedom.
Beijing's controversial new legislation was passed in June after several years of protests resulting in the continuous build-up of pressure for anti-government individuals.
The new law allows the Chinese government to wield much higher power to crush dissent and use its authority to monitor the city and consequently punish those it deems are responsible for subversion and terrorism.
A headquarters has been set up by a powerful new security agency representing Hong Kong, and Beijing has recently deployed an experienced official that has previously encountered protests and media with the position of chief enforcer.
The new security law requires an increased amount of supervision and regulation of school materials and teachings after teachers and instructional staff for months stated they did not discuss their political perspectives to their students or had a hand in protests.
One protester who was arrested last year during a demonstration, Raymond Yeung, said that his supervisors told him that his contract would not be renewed after teaching for four years at the Diocesan Girl's School.
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Differing political views
Yeung noted the school's authorities conducted an investigation looking into him after a rally in January where the protester told other educations professors to take a political stand.
The school Yeung taught at did not respond to requests for comments regarding the matter.
A similar event happened when the school's management did not renew a secondary school teacher's work contract due to her alleged differing political views from the establishment.
Novem Lee Kwan-Pui, a music teacher at Heung To Middle School, sent an email to her colleagues, students, and management writing of her disappointment and frustrations of her contract's termination, as reported by South China Morning Post.
On May 11, Novem claims the school's principal, Wong Chung-Leung, told her via WhatsApp that her contract would be renewed for the following school year.
Confronting the principal, Novem demanded to know the reasons as to why she was being dismissed and asking for a formal certificate, to which Wong has not replied to and refused to provide information.
In Yeung' case, he considered that new security law to hinder everyone's attempts to talk about China's human rights movement and other political advances or viewpoints.
In the past year, more than 1,000 teachers and professional educators have been arrested by officials relating to the protest movements along with 3,000 primary, secondary, and university students as government officials said schools were aiding the growth of discontent.
