Hong Kong former chief executive Leung Chun-ying has urged people to report school teacher misconduct and said public interest overrides personal privacy in this matter. He previously publicised the personal details of dozens of teachers facing protest-related charges.
In August last year, the ex-leader founded “803 action” fund – a platform offering rewards to those who provide information leading to the arrest and prosecution of targeted pro-democracy figures. The fund has since extended its scope to cover those accused of committing crimes that threaten national security under newly-enacted legislation.
Last Tuesday, Leung published on Facebook a list of 18 teachers charged with protest-related criminal offences. The post included their full names, ages, affiliated schools, case details and charges.
“By hiding the names of teachers involved, the Education Bureau, the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, sponsoring bodies and schools have been neglecting parents’ right to know. The 803 action thinks that public interest overrides personal privacy in this matter, therefore we will gather information from various sources, verify with the schools and inform the public,” he wrote.
Leung also claimed the public had used the “803 action” hotline in the past few months to report teacher misconduct. He announced on Friday that the platform would have a designated post office mailbox to process complaints.
Ip Kin-yuen – the education sector lawmaker – accused Leung of imposing “Cultural Revolution-style conflict and criticism,” Ming Pao reported.
Last month, a primary school teacher was de-registered due to “serious professional misconduct” after the Education Bureau accused him of disseminating pro-independence messages, despite him being cleared of wrongdoing in an internal school investigation.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the authority would continue to identify “bad apples” in the industry.
Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme on Sunday, Leung said he questioned whether schools or teachers were one of the reasons behind the “radicalisation” of teenagers, expressed through assaulting police officers and committing illegal acts, including rioting.
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