Nationwide CCTV patriotic education program features Macau

The First Lesson, a nationwide patriotic education program targeting primary school students in mainland China, was broadcast on September 1 on CCTV1. Fifteen minutes of the 90-minute long program featured Macau.
In mainland China, primary schools were all required to assign students to watch the 90-minute program at home. Students were also asked to write a review of the program.
The program has been broadcast in mainland China since 2008. Viewings were previously held in the form of a class meeting. Famous people, including scholars, celebrities, actors and actresses, are invited to interact with the students.
The program selects people with “positive energy” to educate students, especially in patriotism and nationalism.
Usually, the two SARs and Taiwan are given important portions of the program. However, only Macau was included in the program this year, and Hong Kong and Taiwan were not mentioned.
In the Macau portion of the program, four pupils from Macau’s Hou Kong Middle School were invited to read letters they wrote, which were allegedly sent to Chinese president Xi Jinping, on the program.
“Grandpa Xi, in the past, we didn’t know what the Motherland was. Through studying Moral and Civic Education, we gradually understood it,” one of the students wrote. “Especially during the scary [Typhoon] Hato two years ago, which made our place dirty and messy. Under your personal care, the Macau Garrison [of the PLA] dispatched soldiers, and Macau quickly recovered cleanliness and order. Looking at the tired soldiers, many people were moved to tears.”
“Because of this [the garrison helping to clean debris], we understand the meaning of the Motherland. The Motherland is like our mother; it will care and love us when we have difficulties,” the student reads.
“This year marks the 70th anniversary of China and the 20th anniversary of the Macau handover. We have a wish, we wish that you can come to Macau again,” another student reads.
Iao Tun Ieong, director of Hou Kong Middle School, was invited onto the program to interact with the host of the story of Du Nam, the previous rector, who implemented a comprehensive patriotic education program at Hou Kong Middle School.
In his interaction with the host, Iao said that Du Nam raised the Chinese flag in Macau on September 1, 1949, and it was the first time that a Chinese flag had been flown in Macau.
Before the Macau segment concluded with the “Song of the Seven Sons,” as per usual, the Flag Guard of China presented the Hou Kong Middle School representatives with the gift of a Chinese flag.