🌊No Democracy In My Good National Education System

President Xi likely to take term 3

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Happy Saturday Everyone!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Sorry for the late issue! I’m still getting my hang of the writing but hope you enjoy it!

From Lolcats

Enjoy today’s High Tide :)

— Aarza

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On Today’s Tide

• Education | ‘Democracy’, ‘core values’ off junior secondary curriculum

• COVID

  • More new COVID strain cases found in Hong Kong

  • Macao to relax entry rules for persons arriving from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas

• Politics | Xi Jingping set to be endorsed for a third term

• Events

Behind the paywall:

• Politics | Plans to refund extra taxes for foreign property owners in order to incentivise overseas graduates

• Community | Hong Kong government expresses a ‘strong disapproval’ of the UN concerning over minors sentenced under security law

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Hong Kong’s new Junior Secondary school curriculum drops ‘core values’ like Democracy

Subjects taught in junior secondary schools will put more emphasis on national security in order to develop a sense of national identity. The ‘Citizenship, Economics and Society’ subject will no longer teach democracy and political systems of other countries. This course will replace the exiting ‘Life and Society’ subject.

When comparing the two curricula, a big learning objective is notably missing: “to understand, appreciate, respect and reflect on the values and attitudes that underpin the local society, including rights and responsibilities, freedom, rule of law, social justice, democracy.”

The EDB said that it removed “content learnt in primary school or other subjects” in order to reduce redundancy. They said that all the necessary content has remained intact in the new curriculum.

Students will no longer study modules covering the importance of freedom or opinion and expression. It will also not cover the learning targets that highlight participation in public affairs. Politically, students will learn about the political system of China, the Chinese constitution, the meaning and importance of the National Security law and developing a sense of national identity.

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COVID in Hong Kong

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection says it is looking into 4,770 additional locally acquired #COVID19 cases, of which 1,256 were identified through nucleic acid tests and 3,514 via rapid antigen tests

news.gov.hk4.7k virus cases loggedThe Centre for Health Protection says it is looking into 4,770 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 1,256 were identified through nucleic acid tests and 3,514 via rapid antigen tests.

COVID-19 in Hong Kong

• New cases: 4770

• Total cases: 1,826,524

• New deaths: 7

• Total deaths: 10,261

• Compulsory Testing locations: 60

A new sub-variant of COVID detected

Imported COVID cases of new-sub variants both BA.4.6 and BQ.1.1 have appeared in Hong Kong.

Macau to relax regulations for Hong Kong, Taiwan and other overseas travellers

The Macanese Government has announced the scrapping of the four-day self-health monitoring system on day 10-14 of arrival into Macau for foreign travellers - including Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Currently, travellers entering Macao must do a seven day quarantine hotel, after which they must practise three days of self-health management, then a four day ‘health observation’ period.

During the three day self monitoring, they will have a yellow health code, which will bare visitors from entering certain premises, using public transport, and entering China from Macao.

After completing the three-day self-health management, visitors must also continue practising four days of self-health monitoring. The Macao health code will return to green, but visitors are advised to avoid attending any crowded gatherings.

During the 7 days after exiting the quarantine hotel, visitors have to do RAT tests on days 1,2,3,5 and 7.

From tomorrow, the final four-day self-health monitoring will be cancelled. This means that visitors will be allowed to go to events, and will no longer have to do tests on days 5 and 7.

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Chinese President Xi Jingping is poised to win a third term

Xi Jingping is set to become president a third time. Effectively solidifying his place as China’s most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong. Xi Jing Ping stands at the top of Chinese politics. The nation’s Communist Party will open its congress where the president Xi Jingping is expected to give a renewed mandate.

Chris Johnson, a former top China analyst at the CIA, predicts that Xi will probably orchestrate “a fairly significant turnover” at the top of the party at next week’s congress. Which will further tighten his grip on power. “Xi wants transformative approaches,” Johnson says. “He cannot stand all of the vagaries of the old collective leadership ways of doing things …they breed laxity and corruption… He condemns it on a regular basis and he’s gotten rid of most of it.”

Xi’s third term backed up by his party will consolidate his power and influence like no other.

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Events and deals

Support Harbour Times, our friends and partners by attending these events! Let everyone know who sent you by tagging @harbourtimes

• International Ponte Music Festival: Concerto Competition (Grand Finale)

To showcase the power of young local music talent, Ponte is delighted to present to eight finalists from their International Ponte Music Festival: Concerto Competition, held early this year.

We welcome you to this Grand Finale and witness these rising stars to make their debut with an orchestra.

When: 22nd October 2022 (Saturday); 19:30 – 22:00 pm
Where: Hong Kong Jockey Club Amphitheatre, HKAPA
Cost: From $180-$220

• Music Roundabout: Sound of the Netherlands

Need another concert in your life? Ponte Orchestra is collaborating with local harmonica soloist Timothy Tang to showcase famous Dutch music from the Baroque, to folk and even modern pop. This performance is supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Netherlands Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao.

When: 23nd October 2022 (Sunday); 20:00 – 22:00 pm
Where: Hong Kong Jockey Club Amphitheatre, HKAPA
Cost: From $180-$480

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