Full Breakdown
Controversy Over Cantonese Ban in Hong Kong School’s Graduation Video
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A draft production guideline for the Form Six graduation video at Good Hope School, a prestigious girls’ school in Hong Kong, listed “Cantonese is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN” for speaking, dialogue and voice-overs, directing students to use only English or Mandarin. The slide also warned that any detected Cantonese audio would require muting and a complete redo of sound effects. The document, circulated among students, quickly went viral on the social-media platform Threads, prompting an outcry that the school was suppressing the city’s native language.
Official Statements & Responses
Principal Gary Harfitt issued an email to students and parents apologising for the “inappropriate language” on the slide and taking “full responsibility for this oversight.” He stressed that the guideline did not reflect school policy, stating, “It never has and I believe that Hopers, past and present, know this” “It never has and I believe that Hopers, past and present, know this,” — Gary Harfitt, hope school’s principal. The Education Bureau later said it had urged the school to review event arrangements and maintain effective communication with stakeholders, adding that it would provide guidance and support but offering no comment on the school’s language policies.
Public Reaction
Students and alumni expressed shock that a local institution would appear to ban Cantonese, a language spoken by the majority of Hong Kong residents.
Withdrawal and Outlook
Following the backlash, Good Hope School released a public statement announcing that it had “fully and formally withdrawn” the guidance paper for next year’s graduation video. The school reaffirmed its commitment to “biliteracy and trilingualism” and declared that it has never intended to constrain any child’s mother-tongue. While the incident has sparked renewed debate over language policy in Hong Kong schools, the Education Bureau’s promised review suggests that the issue will remain under close observation.