State brainwashing perfectly all right, liaison official blogs

The culture chief of the central government's liaison office has called national education in schools 'necessary brainwashing' - suggesting the Hong Kong curriculum should be promoting the state's way of thinking.

Hao Tiechuan, director general of the department of publicity, cultural and sports affairs at Beijing's office in Hong Kong, said it was an internationally acceptable practice.

His comment follows last week's release of a proposal by the city's Education Bureau to begin teaching primary and secondary school pupils 'moral and national education'. Sceptics of the proposal warned that the curriculum could turn into political brainwashing.

On Sunday, Hao made public his views on the issue on his blog.

'Regarding the moral and national education in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools, some people say it amounts to 'brainwashing'. But if we look at such systems in Western countries like the United States and France, we will find this kind of 'necessary brainwashing' is an international convention.'

He also argued that it was common for universities, not schools, to nurture students' critical thinking.