港語學回應檢控官將反對「普教中」列為危害國安行為

【港語學回應檢控官將反對「普教中」列為危害國安行為】
鍾翰林同學早前被控違反國安法,今日喺區域法院受審。鍾翰林表示將不會認罪並申請保釋,但檢控官舉出鍾翰林反對普通話教授中文科(「普教中」)嘅言論,認為係鍾同學會「繼續實施危害國安行為」嘅證據。法官胡雅文拒絕佢嘅申請。
我哋唔認同檢控官將反對「普教中」列為「危害國家安全嘅行為」,理由如下:
一、「普教中」並非政府制訂政策
根據教育局指引,以「普教中」長久以來只係課程發展議會建議所列出嘅一個「遠程目標」。現時學校有權以「校本自決」嘅形式,因應校情決定是否用普通話做教學語言。因此,反對「普教中」原則上並非反對政府現行政策,唔應該計入鍾翰林控罪「煽動改變在香港的依法制訂的事項」。
二、反對「普教中」建基於學術理據
根據教育局多次委託大學及專家研究,仍未搵到證據證明「普教中」比廣東話教學好,甚至多個研究指出「普教中」學生表現更差。鍾翰林由始至終提出過反對「普教中」嘅原因,都係學生福祉同埋廣東話文化嘅傳承,更加與「分裂國家」嘅罪名無關。
三、要求以母語學習係基本人權
本港簽定嘅《兒童權利公約》具有法律約束力。《公約》定明不得剝奪本地兒童使用自己語言嘅權利。香港有九成人口以廣東話為母語,亦都一直依法將廣東話定為多數課堂嘅授課語言。將鍾翰林同學提出保留廣東話學習嘅言論視為非法,係侵犯香港人嘅言論自由同語言權利。
因此,我哋認為檢控官將反對「普教中」列為「危害國家安全」,係建基於對政策性質同反對原因嘅理解錯誤。我哋就鍾翰林因此不獲保釋感到遺憾。
另外,港語學由2013年起,將反對以普通話教授中文科列為機構嘅目標,至今仍然唔會改變。
港語學
二零二一年三月二十五日

Societas Linguistica Hongkongensis, an NGO concerning on Cantonese development in HK, has the following reply on this incident:

  1. Putonghua as the medium of instruction (PMI) is NOT a policy implemented by the govt

According to the Education Bureau, PMI is just a “long-term goal” and schools in HK have the autonomy to choose what language to be used in Chinese lessons.

2. Opposing PMI is due to academic reasons

Numerous research endorsed by the govt has NOT proved that PMI has significant advantages when comparing to using the mother tongue Cantonese as the medium of instruction. Not just that, a handful of research has cited that there are disadvantages in PMI. It’s nothing political.

3. Using the mother tongue to learn is a basic human right

HK has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the UN and has the legal responsibility to ensure that children have the right to use their own language. It’s not illegal for Tony Chung to express his opposition towards PMI.