Lessons for youngsters in short prison films on jailed Hong Kong protesters
Hong Kong prison authorities have for the first time produced short films based on the stories of current and former inmates convicted of offences related to the city's anti-government protests to educate young people about not running afoul of the law.
Advertisement
Acting security chief Michael Cheuk Hau-yip told a seminar on Wednesday attended by more than 1,600 secondary school pupils from 29 schools that many young offenders who had broken the national security law had been misinformed, incited or acted under misguided heroism to challenge social order.
He pointed to the 30-minute film Momentary Glory, which will be released on the social media platforms of the Correctional Services Department and Education Bureau on National Security Education Day on April 15 along with another one, Unfailing Love.
'This short film was adapted from a real case. The story described a youth who, under peer pressure and negativity in society, was blinded by illusory conceit. He offended against the national security law and ended up in prison,' Cheuk said.
Momentary Glory follows the story of Yiu Chi-man, a troubled young man who was forced to abandon his university studies to support his family.
Advertisement
Yiu is shown riding a motorcycle after answering two friends' calls to 'handle' an unnamed matter. In the film, one friend hands Yiu a folded black flag with part of the word 'liberate' visible.
'I will make all of Hong Kong pay attention, and let them know what it means by 'hard times create strong men',' Yiu said to his friends before riding off.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
English lessons in Hong Kong primary schools to cover national security
Hong Kong primary schools will need to strengthen patriotic and national security education under a revised curriculum guide for the English-language subject. Advertisement The previous edition of the guide suggested English teachers let pupils explore value-laden matters including human rights and equal opportunities but they have been replaced by issues such as respect for others, animal rights and environmental protection. The Education Bureau on Tuesday released the 'English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide for Primary One to Primary Six', eight years after the previous edition was announced. The change means there is now a stand-alone guide for primary schools. 'While the curriculum framework for English language education remains unchanged, updates have been made to each chapter to reflect developments over the years,' the bureau said in the circular, which was sent to the 507 local primary schools. It highlighted four major areas that were updated – values education, assessment literacy, e-learning and information literacy, and reading. Advertisement 'In addition to developing students' language skills, values education should be promoted in the school English-language curriculum as it is essential for fostering students' whole-person development,' it said.
South China Morning Post
04-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
15 suspected student suicides in Hong Kong so far this year, set to surpass 2024 rate
At least 15 students in Hong Kong are suspected to have died by suicide in the first five months of this year, according to the Post's calculations, with the figure equivalent to about half of the total recorded in 2024. The education minister is set to discuss student mental health and support measures at a Legislative Council panel meeting on Friday. According to the Education Bureau's figures, primary and secondary schools reported 11 suspected suicide cases between January and April. The Post also counted four more cases in May after checking local media reports, bringing the tally up to at least 15 known incidents, or an average of three a month. The bureau earlier said that a pattern observed over the past five years suggested the number of suicides was typically higher during the periods of May to July and September to November. There were 28 student deaths by suicide in 2024, down from 32 in 2023. The figures for 2022 and 2021 were 25 each year.
South China Morning Post
03-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong principals slam popular schools' class expansion without consultation
Principals in Hong Kong have criticised education authorities for failing to consult the sector regarding a new measure that permits popular schools to apply to operate an additional Form One class in the next academic year, raising concerns that the move will intensify competition among institutions. The Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools also questioned the timeliness and necessity of implementing the policy change amid the city's declining student population. The Education Bureau briefed representatives from secondary schools at a meeting on May 20 about new class-size regulations, which are expected to jeopardise the survival of disadvantaged schools. The new regulations have increased the minimum number of students required for operating a class, while also permitting schools with four Form One classes to apply to run an additional class in the coming academic year. A maximum of five school applications will be approved. 'There is no consultation at all with such an important policy change,' Lin Chun-pong, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, told the Post last Thursday.
