The actions of separatists are much more rapid than we expect. Just after six "Hong Kong independence" advocates were rejected from standing in the Legislative Council election last month, student activists announced they would set up groups in schools to promote independence, with some of them even saying they do not rule out the use of violence to achieve their separatist goals.

In Hong Kong, school is meant to be a place to study - especially to prepare for the public examination. Discussion of political issues was not normal practice in the past, but the situation started to change several years ago and came to a climax before and after "Occupy Central". Most people still do not realize that the extent of politicization on campuses is much more vigorous than imagined. With the student activists' campaign already getting underway this month, the development has been too fast to elicit a clear response.

Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim said that "students can discuss anything if they are under the guidance of teachers and within the limits of the Basic Law". Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung commented that "in any discussion, especially when it is about discussing 'Hong Kong independence' with students, we should take a rational and objective attitude to tell students about Hong Kong's constitutional and legal status under the Basic Law". It is crucial to state clearly that the issue is not about "discussion" or "freedom of speech", but the promotion of illegal political campaigns on campus. It seems that government officials need to further clarify the difference between "discussion" and "promotion".

To be fair, the responsibility to tackle the separatist campaign in schools should not and cannot be borne solely by the government. The call for independence is ethically and legally unjustified, and any force to achieve this goal will only lead to tragedy in the future. Campus is a place to nurture the future of Hong Kong; everyone who lives in and loves this place should play a role in preventing our students from going astray.

Teachers are the guardians and mentors of students. Students' understanding of the "independence issue" is undoubtedly strongly affected by the teachers. Being the role models of most of the students, if the teachers allow the separatists to act and promote separatist ideas on campus, it will deliver a message to the students that there is nothing wrong with the advocacy of "Hong Kong independence". Unfortunately, the focus of recent discussions on teachers' role has been misdirected on to whether teachers will lose their jobs if they encourage students to engage in pro-independence discussions. It is a false proposition that a teacher will be disqualified; however, it does not mean that a responsible teacher should turn a blind eye to any pro-independence campaign on campus.

Parents also have a crucial role to play in this matter but they usually use ineffective means to deal with the problem. The Committee on Home-School Co-operation and parent-teacher associations in 16 districts issued a joint statement and said that "the committee is of the view that schools are not the places for political wrangling". Frankly speaking, this kind of statement is better than nothing - but still far from effective to save the students. The way parents tell children that they are not allowed to do something can sometimes lead to counter-reactions. It is believed that the call for independence is mostly a result of youth discontent about the status quo and anxiety about the future. Instead of simply issuing "Don'ts", parents should pay more attention to their children's needs and help them to face the challenges in their lives.

Last but not least, the most important player in the issue is the "student". We need to admit that discussion of political issues cannot be eliminated. Teachers can deliver the correct knowledge concerning the history, legal and political systems of Hong Kong, while parents can try their best to give care. It is, however, up to the students themselves to judge what is right and what is wrong. More than that, peer influence is powerful and it is each student's responsibility to repent and prevent their friends from joining the illegal independence campaign before it is too late.

Mao Zedong said to the young people: "The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours." Political campaigns to promote independence on campus are going to ruin Hong Kong. In the future, Hong Kong is for teenagers, but for now it is still in the custody of the grown-ups. Both the grown-ups and the teens should bear their responsibility to protect the future of our home.

(HK Edition 09/01/2016 page1)