Patriotic education under the spotlight in Beijing

Zhang Dejiang

Director of the Liaison Office, Li Gang, renewed his call for patriotic education to be implemented in schools, at the NPC and CPPCC meetings in Beijing.  A research by the General Association of Chinese Students indicates that only around half the city’s younger generation identify themselves as Chinese.
This shrinking identification with a Chinese identity among local youngsters, as Li Gang claimed, intensified right after the “Occupy Central” Movement in the neighboring SAR last year. The director hopes that the government can soon implement patriotic education in schools, although most argue that it is a form of brainwashing by the central government. “Besides planning for your own development, you should also contribute to society. This concerns the long-term development strategy of Macau,” Li added.
However, Ho Iat Seng, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), dismissed the brainwashing claims, saying it is mandatory to have patriotic education for citizens. “I believe it’s not justified to ask whether patriotic education for youngsters is brainwashing, since it’s a must that citizens have patriotic education,” he said.
Agreeing with the national education implementation, he also noted that many Hong Kong youngsters are damaging the relationship between Hong Kong and China, which he hoped the HK government could address.
Aside from patriotic education, Li Gang urged the SAR government to provide more support for local youth groups and organize more exchange trips to mainland China for them.
On Friday morning the Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Zhang Dejiang, met with Macau’s NPC delegation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday morning, after which Lao Ngai Leong, Deputy Head of the Macau NPC delegation, said the central government would like to see patriotism be further developed, together with a better education system in the city.
Among the attendees were Li Fei, Deputy General Secretary of the NPC Standing Committee, and Wang Guangya, Head of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
After the meeting, Lao Ngai Leong told the media that the Chinese Government would further support Macau in carrying out policies, in accordance with the Basic Law.
He also mentioned that China wishes to see patriotism and unification grow in the near future. Beijing wants improvement on the current education system for the younger generation. “Macau should face new challenges proactively, and not let their guard down while facing complex environments. Patriotic groups should learn to adapt to new circumstances and to improve the way they carry out activities and they [the central government] hope we can improve the teaching quality [for] young people,” Mr Lao said.
Lei Pui Lam, NPC Macau Delegate, asserted that most local youth have always been patriotic, yet such patriotic education could still serve as a means to assess if there is any improvement needed for the present education system. Another delegate, Ho Sut Heng, said that education on Chinese history and the conditions of the SAR have to be reinforced, given the local youth’s poor understanding of these two areas.  Staff reporter