City Beat | Preschool politics and protests: it's not child's play
Sit-ins are a good way to understand how democracy works - but leave the kids at home
With no end in sight to the pro-democracy sit-ins after last week's talks between student leaders and the government, a new worry has emerged: the safety of young children being taken to the protest zones.
Should parents take their children to the protests, or even be discussing the Occupy Central movement with them?
These are questions many have asked after video clips and photos did the rounds on the internet this week, showing kindergarten teachers trying to explain to their charges what was going on in the city.
Last week in Mong Kok, young children stood between protesters and police in a "human shield" tactic that Chief Superintendent Steve Hui Chun-tak, of the police public relations bureau, said was "extremely selfish and reckless, and totally unacceptable to the public". Parents were warned not to put their children's safety at risk by taking them to the Mong Kok site, where violence has flared in recent weeks.
The debate got heated. Some were completely on the side of the police, saying kindergarten pupils were too young to be trying to comprehend the political debate - and why should they have to?
And they argued that young children certainly shouldn't be taught to take part in illegal activities under the guise of doing something heroic.