Hong Kong education authorities have told participants of publicly sponsored study tours to mainland China to return to their hotels by 10.30pm and not to go out alone, following an incident where a teacher was accused of visiting prostitutes.
The Education Bureau revealed the move in response to Post inquiries on Friday after a Facebook page claimed the rules governing study tour participants had been strengthened following the episode earlier this month involving a male teacher visiting Wuhan.
A Facebook page under the name “Edu Lancet” said participants of a more recent study tour, also to Wuhan, were told they were not allowed to go out at night.
Bureau staff would wait in the hotel lobby from 10.20pm each night to check whether everyone had returned, and follow up with those who had not, it was claimed.
While the bureau did not specify whether the 10.30pm curfew was a new rule, it said “generally speaking” daily tour group activities finished around 5pm, with members then free to do as they pleased.
“However, to seize the opportunity to promote team communication and care for each other, the Education Bureau recommends that group members avoid going out alone after class,” it said.
“The purpose of reminding group members to return to the hotel at 10.30pm is in the hope they can have a proper rest and prepare for the next day’s study.”
It added it would review and revise the content and arrangements of study groups from time to time “to ensure the training achieves the expected goals”.
Earlier this month, a Hong Kong teacher was accused by internet users of being arrested for visiting prostitutes while on a study tour in Wuhan, after he failed to return to the city with his fellow participants.
The teacher, from CUHKFAA Thomas Cheung Secondary School in the New Territories, was the only participant who did return after the four-day tour ended on May 11.
The school said in a notice to parents that he had been assisting mainland authorities with an investigation and that he had returned a day later.
The notice said the teacher had reported that information circulating online was “not accurate”, although it did not give a specific reason for his delayed return.
The bureau on Friday said it was “taking a serious look” at the allegations, but refused to comment further. It added that it attached great importance to the discipline of those joining tours.
According to a screenshot of a message circulating online, the teacher told his colleagues he was brought to a police station to help with an investigation, and that he had not been charged, fined or detained before being escorted by two officials from the bureau back to Hong Kong.
In a Facebook post, a user claiming to be a colleague said the teacher was visiting a foot massage parlour “during his free time” when police conducted a surprise operation there.
The study tour s in question were organised for newly recruited teachers and included visits to schools, high-end technology companies and institutions, among other events.