Patriotic education | Love for the country cannot be forced, says education official

Students at Macau’s Hou Kong Middle School write a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping

A high ranking official of Macau’s education authority has remarked that patriotic education cannot be forced, according to a report by public broadcaster TDM.

Leong Wai Kei, the Acting Director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ), appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of patriotic activities among the youth.

“Actually, patriotic education should really not be forced or pushed. Love comes from the heart,” said Leong.

“We have been implementing patriotic education through different activities, and through teaching,” said Leong, adding that “when you know someone or something, and when you build a relationship with that person or that thing, you will probably love them because of that [relationship]. Love cannot be forced.”

Patriotic education is a policy and education movement that has been regularly updated since 1990, in China, targeting the youth. It is a selective history education which aims at highlighting the brutality of former foreign aggressors while neglecting Chinese leaders’ atrocities and mistakes.

In mainland China, patriotic education aims at training the nationalist and anti-western victim mentality.

The actual Chinese characters for patriotic education translate as “Love the Country Education”.

According to Leong, the DSEJ has been training local students’ feelings for “family-country” through theory and practice sessions. Local schools and students have participated in DSEJ’s theory and practice sessions without being forced to do so.

Leong said that it was more effective to gradually build a sense of belonging.

The DSEJ’s mainland youth exchange program, student visits to a military camp and flag-raising activities all help students to develop a comprehensive knowledge about the country and Macau, said Leong, thus building a sense of belonging.

In Leong’s opinion, currently, local students’ feeling of “family-country” has been continuously growing, and local youths are willing to participate in abovementioned activities.

In order to substantiate her opinion, Leong noted that in 2019, one-third of Macau’s high school graduates chose to go to universities in mainland China. JZ