HK Students Need to Sing Anthem Louder

Apparently HK students not singing the anthem loud enough

C'mon kids! Gotta sing the national anthem louder! We can't hear you belting out "March of the Volunteers"! 

That's what Hong Kong's education authorities are saying in a recent inspection report, criticising schools for paying too much attention in teaching about national security rather than focusing on why the subject mattered to them.

"Teachers and students sang the national anthem together, but the singing was a little soft," the report said. "Schools must boost students' confidence and habit in singing the national anthem."

The bureau's report evaluated 251 primary, secondary and special schools over the last academic year. It said the schools did not explain to students the threats and crises the country currently faced and emphasise the importance of national security when teaching some topics.

"In terms of classroom teaching, teachers focus too much on teaching knowledge content and rarely link students' life experiences or create situations to effectively put students into others' shoes and understand how national security is related to them," the report said.

It also complained that promoting national education in the curriculum was more of something that was completed rather than focusing on how to teach it well.

But what are the crises and threats China and Hong Kong are facing? And how does national security matter to students? 

While one principal claimed teachers and school heads not singing loudly enough only resulted in students doing the same, another said students and teachers always sang at a low volume regardless of the song.

Perhaps students will sing louder eventually, but forcing them to turn up the volume will only make them sing even softer...