No reason to ditch MNE

The "civic alliance against national education" has called for a protest rally outside the SAR Government Complex in Central on Saturday, to demand that the government withdraw the planned moral and national education program (MNE) from primary and secondary schools. The new program is expected to be inaugurated in many schools when the new academic year begins.

The fact is, national education is common to basic education around the world. The MNE program for Hong Kong schools will begin with a three-year "initiation period". Schools are given the liberty to decide the content and method of delivery. Under such flexible arrangements, there is no reason to withdraw the MNE program.

Past experience shows that when a policy was withdrawn it may never see the light of day again. By demanding the withdrawal of the MNE, the anti-MNE alliance aims to kill the subject before it has a chance to become properly established. The opposition camp should not expect that a protest rally or two will be enough to banish MNE program.

The government must stand its ground, because MNE is absolutely necessary. The administration should never withdraw MNE just because some people oppose it, but it should step up communication with schools and parents on ways to improve the course content.

Public concerns about MNE are focused on the content and delivery. These issues can be straightened out through rational discussion among the government, schools and parents. There are definitely no grounds for dismissing the MNE entirely. A few groups have refused to discuss the issue with government authorities rationally all along, and also refused to be moved from their insistence that the program be shelved entirely. These opponents want to kill MNE "in the womb" in total disregard of the students' interests.

The anti-MNE "alliance" is hell-bent on derailing the subject by all means, including a general strike by teachers and a boycott of schools by students at the beginning of the new academic year. This will no doubt harm the interest of students and their parents, in addition to creating a significant rift in society. That said, there is no reason for the government to give in to such intimidation and withdraw the MNE plan.

This is an excerpted translation of a Wen Wei Po editorial published on Aug 29.

Vote for a better future

The 2012 Legislative Council (LegCo) Election is unfolding as Hong Kong's economic and social development continues to maintain largely positive momentum, thanks to unreserved support from the central government. The economic problems of the US and the European Union remain acute and continue to pose serious challenges to Hong Kong. Still, local residents, out of their strong desire for positive changes and continued development, hold rather high expectations for the new SAR government.

The new SAR government, led by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, is decidedly mindful of matters concerning the living standards of the city's people. The administration needs the support and cooperation of the new LegCo to implement its policies in accordance with the popular will. Meanwhile, the new LegCo will be charged with finalizing the method by which Legco members will be elected in 2016 and the Chief Executive (CE) by popular vote in 2017. For these reasons alone, local society attaches great importance to the formation of the next LegCo.

The upcoming LegCo election has set records for the number of candidates (from 201 in 2008 to 287 this year), the number of registered voters (from 3,372,007 in 2008 to 3,466,175 this year in geographical constituencies and from 212,227 in 2008 to 240,733 this year in functional constituencies), the number of LegCo seats up for grabs (70, up from 60 in each of the previous elections).

Each voter will have two ballots to cast this time instead of just one - one goes to the geographical constituency candidate and the other to the functional constituency candidate. Voters who don't belong to any of the traditional functional constituencies can vote for the candidate of their choice to fill the five newly-added District Council Functional Constituency (II) seats (super seats).

Some LegCo members have acted against the spirit of the Basic Law and the interests of Hong Kong in recent years. Their performance as lawmakers shamed the SAR in terms of civilized behavior and did nothing constructive toward the city's economic development or the living standards of people here. Therefore the voters should make certain their votes produce a LegCo that will work wholeheartedly for a better future of Hong Kong.

This is an excerpted translation of an editorial published in Bauhinia magazine's September issue.

(HK Edition 08/30/2012 page3)