Hong Kong, 11 September 2024: “Teenage dreams, so hard to beat” – the words inscribed on the gravestone of legendary radio DJ John Peel are taken from his favourite song, Teenage Kicks by the Undertones. Released in 1977, it remains iconic: two minutes and 27 seconds of raucous punk pop perfection, a timeless paean to the joys and frustration of youthful lust. Singer Feargal Sharkey pines for a girl he’s just seen and wishes to invite her over so he can “hold her tight, get teenage kicks right through the night”.
Funnily enough, he doesn’t mention playing badminton together, going for a walk to admire the trees, or signing a commitment form that sets limits on intimacy. These and other measures for cooling young passion are recommended by our Education Bureau in new teaching materials for secondary school students aged 12-14. The Undertones, it may be noted, grew up in trouble-strewn Northern Ireland – “a bunch of spotty, talented, badly dressed Derry boys finding comfort in the middle of a war”, according to one commentator – rather than today’s prim and proper Hong Kong where nanny knows best.
However well intended, the government guidelines are out of touch, insist sex education experts. Doris Chong of the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women says the materials lack the vital thought process of enabling young people to identify their own will and clearly express consent. The document authors “seem very worried that once young people have sexual urges, they will go to have sex”, she laments. Professor Diana Kwok Kan notes a quarter of the materials relate to Family Planning Association pamphlets while some of the publications cited are more than 30 years old; she calls the failure to reference more recent studies “unprofessional”.
The Education Bureau denies being behind the times, saying it is seeking to cultivate “comprehensive values” among students so they can make “informed and responsible decisions” when they are more mature. Education minister Christine Choi says the teaching materials should be seen as promoting respect and responsibility rather than being considered official policy. She points out schools have to educate pupils about the illegality and consequences of under-age sex.
Perhaps singing March of the Volunteers will keep young citizens’ minds off naughty needs. Our education chief has reminded students to belt out the national anthem “with emotion” as schools hold flag-raising ceremonies this week to mark the new academic year. She fears some are unsure whether to sing or not, while others do so only in a low voice. As well, they can learn the words to Our Home, a new song to promote patriotic education – with a karaoke version for primary and secondary schools – which has been produced by the recently formed Working Group on Patriotic Education. Convenor and pro-establishment lawmaker Starry Lee hopes young people will sing it together and “subtly develop national awareness”.
Aside from ardour and anthems, education chiefs have other concerns. Some 70 primary one classes in 66 schools have been scrapped in the new academic year. Most of the fresh intake are children born in 2018, when our city recorded 53,700 new babies. Births have continued to decline, plunging to 32,500 in 2022 before a slight uptick last year. Simply, this means some schools will close and others merge in the next few years.
School principal and education sector lawmaker Chu Kwok-keung calls the shrinking student population “a serious problem”. Hopes it will be alleviated by families arriving in town under the administration’s Top Talent Pass Scheme are misplaced, he adds. “Most of these children are studying at secondary schools and senior forms at primary schools. Few new arrivals will bring their kids to Hong Kong when they are only six years old.”
Even this trend presents challenges. Some 47,730 dependants under the age of 18 have had their applications approved under the Top Talent Pass Scheme – launched in December 2022 to lure skilled workers to Hong Kong – with around 95% coming from the mainland. Wong Ching-yung, principal of Scientia Secondary School, which has accepted 120 transfer students this term, stresses his new charges have no issues integrating culturally and socially, but language skills remain a concern. “Most of them do not understand Cantonese and need extra tutoring for English,” he reveals. The school has put in place measures to help them adapt.
We champion education here at BC&C, of course. We are delighted to learn our annual Prize in Accounts and Financial Management for law students at the University of Hong Kong has three joint winners who will be acknowledged at next month’s awards ceremony. Before then, on 27 September, the university will host our annual Criminal Law Lecture, this one delivered by former Director of Public Prosecutions and Justice of Appeal Ian McWalters. A reminder that the event is free and open to the public – you can register for it here.
In closing, I should highlight the recent JC Youth Football Academy Summit which saw our city host Manchester United U16s – accompanied by club legends John O’Shea and Dimitar Berbatov – for a pair of matches against local age-group teams amid a week of sporting and cultural activities. A good time was had by all thanks to the efforts of the joint organisers: the Football Association of Hong Kong, China and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Well done, both. It seems these two – more than our education chiefs – know all about teenage kicks.
Until next time, everybody!
Colin Cohen
Senior Partner
Boase Cohen & Collins
