Hong Kong pupils punished for singing Dear Jane hit, which included lyrics school deemed sensitive
- Form Five pair at ELCHK Yuen Long Lutheran Secondary School reportedly given demerits over performance of Canto-pop hit Galactic Repairman
- Education Bureau contacts school over incident and reminds pupils to abide by national security law
A Hong Kong secondary school has punished two pupils after they performed a Canto-pop hit with lyrics deemed sensitive, according to fellow students, while one of the penalised pair also chanted a protest slogan at the end of a campus competition.
The news of the punishment, which saw both pupils handed demerits, triggered a wave of support online for the pair, while a teachers’ union urged schools not to overreact to students’ behaviour.
According to pupils at the school, the Form Five duo performed the song Galactic Repairman by local band Dear Jane in both the competition’s preliminary and final rounds, but were told by the school to change some of its lyrics to terms relating to fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
At least five pupils told the Post on Thursday that although the pair sang an altered version in the preliminary round, they used the song’s original lyrics in the finals last month, which was attended by the whole student body.
“One of the pair shouted ‘Hongkongers, add oil!’ when they finished singing,” said a female student, 14, who attended the performance and wished to remain anonymous.
