Hong Kong is not alone in the trend of intolerant youth
Bernard Chan says in the US, too, university campuses have become more intolerant of different views. Students’ changing expectations also mean some see their university as a service provider that should give them – the consumers – exactly what they want
But I think that is a distraction. The real point is that the behaviour shown in the video was rude, disrespectful and frankly obnoxious. Even if a student has a valid complaint about a university policy, there is no excuse for this nasty way of expressing it.
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As council chairman, it was part of my role to listen to students’ criticism – even if that meant being insulted. But it was shocking and frankly unpleasant. I can’t help but feel sympathy towards the Baptist staff members who were simply performing their duties.
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One typical example was when students demanded that a respected serious writer with conservative views be banned from speaking on their campus. They insisted that her freedom of speech came second to the feelings of people who might disagree with her. They rejected the concept of a respectful exchange of ideas – which is central to academic life.
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Colleges are also noticing students’ changing expectations of campus life. For example, some students demand “trigger warnings” in case the content of courses upsets sensitive individuals.
This perhaps reflects a feeling that universities are service providers that should give the students – consumers – exactly what they want. Although the trouble at Baptist University concerned Mandarin, the students really seemed most angry about an inconvenient course requirement.
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I do realise that many young people have very good manners and treat others with respect at all times. (And to be fair, some older people do not.) I also strongly believe that young people and students have a right to express their opinions, and to speak out when they think something is wrong. But they need to do it within particular boundaries, with basic manners.
Of course, every older generation criticises the youth of their time for lack of discipline, laziness or some other faults. And I am reaching that age when my own kids are growing and I am no longer part of the younger generation.
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Maybe parents should ask themselves if they are the problem. Have the children been spoilt, maybe by having helpers do things for them? Are the kids online all the time on social media? One disturbing thing I have heard of is parents with children at high school who take their kids’ side if a teacher takes disciplinary action.
I have no answers. But I expect that not only the young but also the older generations are partly to blame.
Bernard Chan is convenor of Hong Kong’s Executive Council