Hong Kong to distribute ‘Security Bear’ national security picture books to 900 kindergartens – Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

Hong Kong to distribute ‘Security Bear’ national security picture books to 900 kindergartens  Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

The Security Bureau held a launch ceremony for its Andy and Security Bear: Young Citizens Safeguarding National Security educational picture books on Tuesday. The three-volume set of titles includes new stories and national security-themed children’s songs. They will be distributed to 900 kindergartens and public libraries by the end of the year. According to a Tuesday press release, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said the “engaging storyline enables children to discover and learn the meaning of following rules and thinking critically, so that they can understand the importance of safeguarding national security from an early age.” The Security Bear series was launched by the bureau in 2024. A theatre show toured schools shortly after, with the Security Bear mascot telling children that their homeland must “remain free from disruption, allowing everyone to live in peace.” See also: From interactive drama to election forums: Politics turns to pageantry in Hong Kong All eight University Grants Committee-funded local universities have national education and national security courses which students must pass in order to graduate.

In September 2022, five members of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists were sentenced to 19 months in prison for publishing children’s books that were deemed seditious. The books involved an allegory of sheep facing off against wolves, with the sheep representing pro-democracy protesters and the