From Sina Weibo:

@彭蠡书生: Hong Kong People Reject Brainwashing Education: On July 23rd, over a thousand parents in Hong Kong published a statement in newspapers demanding that the government put a stop to the “Moral and National Education” program originally scheduled to be implemented in [Hong Kong] primary schools this September. The Concern Group [Concern Group for Hong Kong Science Education] criticized the National Education concept in the curriculum guide as “brainwashing education” for conflating “loving the country” with “loving the [Chinese Communist] Party”. The Hong Kong Teachers’ Union yesterday [July 22] announced they would join the protest, the president Feng Weihua claims the union will ask teachers to sign a conscience charter, promising not to be a tool in brainwashing their students.

Comments from Sina Weibo:

蓝山俊彰：

It’s still the Hong Kongers who have civic awareness. I support our Hong Kong compatriots.

xuexue108:

Not only are we brainwashed, it’s also a test subject.

繁星_爱萌萌的朴柿子:

Seems having once been a colony isn’t a bad thing.

loyal2001：

What is called brainwash? If Hong Kong’s teachers all didn’t brain brainwash their students, then that would be the end of at least all humanities education. May I ask, what then will these teachers teach? For college students, of course we can guide them to compare, to question, to think in order to form their own conclusions, but what about primary school and middle school students? Don’t let this so-called rejection of brainwashing merely become brainwashing with foreign-worshiping education. How can Hong Kong teachers achieve the goal of education without brainwashing? Let’s wait and see.

荷河河:

Hong Kong you must persevere! Don’t be assimilated!

小小考拉的大考拉：

Very good, seeing this, those people in the Taiwan Province who were conflicted will be conflicted no more, because our Party has made their direction clear, and they’ll rather emigrate than return [to China]. “One country, two systems” was nothing but a stalling tactic.

第三魔：

I’m a failure product of their brainwashing anyway.

书香门地美学地板苏州站：

Sigh, the education we received growing up was that the Party suffered in service to the country, only realizing when we grew up just who is actually serving/providing for who, completely reversed.

饼干的幸福：

I’m thankful of my middle school political education teacher. Every time before class, he would say: Those of you who have homework from other classes can do it in my class, or rest and chat quietly. Just don’t let your head teacher know. Before class is over, I’ll tell you what content might be on the test.

LoLoOu：

Loving the country and loving the Party are two completely different concepts. For example, you can’t not love the Party, but you must love your country. Note, I said “for example”~

火与土的浪漫：

Hong Kong, how long can you continue to hold out?

清水河边的米粉粉：

Want to brainwash Hong Kong people? It’s absolutely stupid and crazy. In the mainland, decades of years of brainwash, the post-70s, post-80s, and post-90s, none of which still believe those brainwashing stuff. Keep dreaming.

solado：

Has Hong Kong still not returned? Are Hong Kong people longing to be colonized? Longing for the British to come back and educate them? Is Hong Kong still a British colony???

苦逼的逝去的13加1年：

The Party, politics, and nation have always been different categories, the Chinese government deliberately conflates them together.

一路说笑:

Very normal, if the country established by the Chinese Communist Party didn’t unify education on loving the country [patriotic education] and loving the party together, now that would be unimaginable. Those who agitate for division, also known as those who claim our country’s education is “brainwashing” simply have ulterior motives. Why didn’t they reject the colonial education of the British?

虫之虫之虫：

No need to talk about this… Just looking at my generation and the people around me and I alrady know the brainwashing is utterly unsuccessful and has even resulted in no small amount of backlash.

黄梓祺：

Of course we love our country, it’s the place that gave birth to and raised us up. Her selflessness, tolerance, and all the burdens she bears, how could a certain Party shoulder the same? To a certain degree, I even dare to say: Anyone who says “to love the country one must also love the Party” is basically a bastard!

徐晋如:

Hong Kong is the city I love the most in China.

黄裳大侠：

I’m curious, how did promoting patriotic education become brainwashing?

昊子是7号：

Rejecting enslaving education is everyone’s duty.

天涯赵瑜:

Why can’t mainland parents respond together?

小学一年级新生：

If in the future you’re cracked down upon for opposing the Party…better take responsibility for your own consequences.

清咖啡_icefire：

Hong Kong mustn’t fall! I truly wish my kid didn’t have this kind of brainwashing education. Child, I’m sorry.

张学文steven：

I just don’t get it. From primary school to high school, I was taught political education. In college, I was taught Scientific Socialism. In graduate school, I was taught and learned Dialectics of Nature. For 17 years I was brainwashed, but how come I’m still like this and can’t fully understand the government’s difficulties [isn’t filled with sympathy for the government]?

老张师父：

Better leave a place with no brainwashing. This way, when we become mentally retarded in the future, we’ll at least know where we should run to.

崔强TSUI：

Poor mainland children. Starting from first grade, a red cord is tied around their necks.

手机用户2742846327：

Envy. Today, only our Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots can stand against the corrupted tide.

我本楚狂人他娘：

Shit, we were forcibly brainwashed for decades. No test was short of testing politics, especially when in your heart you clearly knew they were all lies but you still had to memorize them for your scores. Truly fucking disgusting. I support Hong Kong’s parents and teachers!

息州人:

Hong Kong people have “brainwashed” us, praises!

Toffey堂果：