Govt severs ties with PTU after state media attack
The Education Bureau announced on Saturday that it would stop working with the city’s largest teachers’ group – the Professional Teachers’ Union, hours after state media launched an attack on the pro-democracy group and called for it to be investigated and eradicated.
In a statement, a bureau spokesperson said the union’s remarks and actions in recent years have not been in line with the education profession, describing it as “no different than a political group”.
Officials also cited the union’s participation with the Civil Human Rights Front and the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, both of which have been accused by pro-Beijing forces of breaching the national security law.
They even blamed the union for events during the 2019 protests, saying some teachers and students have participated in violent and illegal activities, and that it didn’t play its part to educate and stop them – but had encouraged them.
The bureau said it will no longer hold meetings with the union and its representatives, nor will they consult the group regarding education topics.
Concerns and cases forwarded by the group will not be dealt with, teacher training courses held by the union will not be recognised, and PTU representatives may lose their seats in different government consultation groups, officials said.
The bureau urged PTU members to rethink whether the group can truly represent them, while it said it will continue working with “true” education profession groups.
The union had earlier responded after state media described it as a “tumour” that needs eradicating.
It noted it has always been a group that promotes the development of the education profession, protects teachers’ rights and cares about students’ safety and the development of the country.
It stressed that it has always opposed Hong Kong independence and has not incited students into joining protests.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary John Lee stopped short of saying whether authorities would investigate the union, only saying they would act according to the law if a group goes beyond its scope.
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