With sudden announcement of its disbandment, HKPTU owes the public an explanation of its problems

　　教协昨日突然宣布解散，为“多行不义必自毙”写下最佳注脚，但也引发更多疑问。教协解散绝不意味着问题已画上句号，极少数骨干涉及违法，不能就此罢了；而教协匆匆解散被指违反章程，也没有说明如何处置庞大资产，执法部门需全力调查，给教育界及社会一个清楚的交代。

　　教协举行记者会，将解散归咎于“近来香港社会政治环境发生巨变”、“承受了巨大压力”云云，但对自身在前年黑暴期间扮演的角色只字不提，如此文过饰非，反而显得心中有鬼。

　　其实，教协最近为“救亡”作出的种种动作已经出卖了自己：退出民阵、支联会、国际教育组织，是企图洗脱勾结反中乱港组织及外部势力的关系；声称聚焦“教育专业及教师权益”，恰恰印证教协偏离教育专业；扬言今后聚焦相关诉讼事宜也是适得其反，暴露教协正是“黄”老师的保护伞及教育乱象的根源。

　　教协近日还成立“中国历史文化工作组”，煞有介事地声称推动教师正面认识中国历史、国情和文化，培养学生爱国情怀。说得无比动听，然而，传媒踢爆工作组的成员居然是全力为去年文凭试考题“日本侵华利多于弊”洗白的人，靠他们去推动教师正确认识中国历史、培养学生爱国情操，何异于缘木求鱼？

　　教协最近删除了美化非法“占中”及鼓吹“公民抗命”的教材，如此急急“毁尸灭迹”，也是企图逃避法律责任。国安法落实已经一年多，不少政客宣布退隐，不少组织自行解散，如果教协真有悔过之心，早该自我了结，何必拖到今日？

　　更讽刺的是，教协解散被指违规。根据教协章程，需有三分之二会员投票通过才能解散，以教协9万5千名会员计，需最少6万多会员投票才算有效。但教协理事会只是召开一次会议就决定解散，并称会员“理解”其决定，说到底并没有经过正常程序。教协一向无视广大会员的意见及感受，此次再度得到印证。

　　教协如何处理资产也留下种种疑团，有待厘清。教协财雄势大，单是物业市值就高达4亿多港元，但教协对如何处理这些资产语焉不详，仅称将赔偿200名雇员。事实上，教协的资产处理是一笔糊涂账，被指将资金用于政治活动，违反工会注册条例。这些指控非常严重，如果调查属实，足以被取缔；若是有关人士涉及违反国安法，更要被依法论处。

　　面对公众的种种疑问，教协本该以开诚布公的态度，向公众坦诚交代，这才是“教育专业”所要做的本分。然而，教协在毫无征兆之下突然宣布解散，更留下新的问题，无法不令人质疑其真实目的。但需要指出的是，教协即便解散，也绝不意味着教师的权益不受保障，恰恰相反，没有了教协，教育专业和教师权益才能得到更好的维护，教育环境方能变得越来越好。

2021-08-11

　　The Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (HKPTU) abruptly announced its disbandment yesterday. This serves as a best footnote for the proverb "He who repeatedly commits unrighteous acts will surely bring himself down", but also raises more questions. The HKPTU's disbandment by no means puts an end to its problems. An extremely small minority of its core members are suspected of having broken the law, who must not be let off because of the union's disbandment. Furthermore, the HKPTU's abrupt disbandment is accused of violating its bylaws and it also fails to explain how its huge assets would be disposed. Law enforcement authorities must conduct a thorough investigation to give the education sector and whole society a clear explanation.

　　The HKPTU held a press conference, blaming its disbandment to "big changes in Hong Kong society and political environment recently", "enormous pressure upon it", and so on and so forth. Yet it made no mention at all the role it played during the rioting by black-clad mobsters two years ago.　In such a way to conceal faults and gloss over wrongs, the HKPTU rather shows it has a guilty conscience.

　　In fact, the efforts recently made by the HKPTU to save its own skin have already betrayed itself. Its [earlier] announcement of quitting the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (the Hong Kong Alliance) and Education International (EI) was an attempt to wash away its collusion with anti-China and trouble-making organisations and external forces. Its [earlier] claim to focus on "the rights and interests of the education sector and teachers" exactly proved that the HKPTU has deviated from the profession of education. It spreading the word about focusing on lawsuits from now on also backfired exposing it that the HKPTU has been indeed the protective umbrella of "yellow" teachers and the source of chaos in education.

　　The HKPTU recently also created a "working committee to promote Chinese history and culture", making such a fuss about striving for teachers to positively recognise China's history, national circumstances and culture and fostering "affection for home and country" among students. Such words were easy on the ear, but it turned out that members of the "working committee" were those who had tried to justify the examination question about "Japanese invasion doing China more good than harm" in the Diploma Exam two years ago. Isn't it like climbing a tree to catch fish by relying on such people to strive for teachers to positively recognise China's history, national circumstances and culture and foster affection for home and country among students?

　　The HKPTU recently also deleted [from its website] its teaching material that beatifies the unlawful "Occupy Central" and advocates "civil disobedience". Such an abrupt move to "destroy the corpse and obliterate all traces" was also an attempt to evade its legal responsibility. The Hong Kong National Security Law has been enforced for more than a year already, and quite a number of politicians have announced to quit and retire and quite a number of organisations have dissolved by themselves. If the HKPT really is repentant, it should have terminated itself long time ago. Why wait until now?

　　More ironically, the HKPTU's disbanding is accused of violating its bylaws, according to which, the union can disband only after two thirds of its members approve of the move. With 95,000 members in total, its disbandment won't be valid until at least 63,000 members voting for it. But the HKPTU's Executive Committee only held a single meeting to decide its disbandment, claiming its members would "understand" the decision. This in the final analysis did not go through the normal procedure. This once again proves that HKPTU has always ignored the opinions and feeling of the vast majority of its members.

　　There are also doubts and suspicions about how the HKPTU would dispose its assets, which awaits clarification. The HKPTU is wealthy and influential. The real estate it owns alone is worth more than $400 million. The HKPTU remains vague about the disposal of its assets, only saying it would compensate its 200 employees. As a matter of fact, the HKPTU's disposal of its assets is as clear as mud, having been accused of spending funds on political activities in violation of the Trade Unions Ordinance. Such an accusation is very serious. If it is sustained by investigation, the HKPTU should be outlawed. If certain people are suspected of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law, they should be dealt with by the law.

　　In face of public doubts and suspicions, the HKPTU should have given a candid explanation in an open and honest attitude, which is the due duty for the "profession of education". Nevertheless, the HKPTU announced its disbandment out of the blue while leaving new problems unexplained. One cannot but question its real purpose. It should be pointed out, however, the HKPTU's disbandment is absolutely not meant teachers' rights and interests won't be protected. On the contrary, without the HKPTU, the profession of education and the rights of teachers can be better safeguarded and the environment for education become better and better.

11 August 2021