E encountered the anti-amendment movement in Form 4, and went through arrest and trial successively. In 2020, when he was promoted to Form 5, he ushered in the epidemic and was imprisoned for several months in the same year. After returning to school following entering the sixth form, he felt that he was out of place, but he still devoted himself to his studies. He said with a smile that he had the most classes in high school, from September last year to January this year.
Appreciate the general education teacher’s enlightened mind and persuasion
E studied in Band 1 Middle School. He said that the basics of elementary school were good, but following entering middle school, he gradually found that he was not good at reading, and middle 3 might not catch up with the progress. He said that the only time he would straighten his back was in general education classes. He admired the open-mindedness of the teacher, and the two sides might communicate. He also remembered the teacher’s admonition, “Tell me to stop being so impulsive, this time is not suitable”.
At the beginning of this year, he violated the supervision order and was sent back to the wall for several months. At that time, the epidemic situation was repeated. In order to cooperate with the isolation arrangement, he was sent to 3 institutions successively, during which he was diagnosed.
Prepare for DSE under the bars, affected by the fifth wave of the epidemic. The institute once arranged for a teacher to teach E, “Review the main subjects and the exercise papers, but following two classes, it must be stopped due to the epidemic.” After that, no one urged him to review. During this period, he received a letter from his English teacher, and he remembered the support of the general education teacher. “With nothing to do, let’s take the test.” After being released from prison, he had hardly studied any books and returned to his alma mater to take the 5-subject written test.
E is involved in another social movement case that has already been charged, and frankly is not optimistic, “predicted to go to jail”. From time to time, he thinks wildly, worrying regarding rejoining society in the future, “I don’t know how (society) will change, and I am afraid that he will be derailed from the outside world.” However, E talked regarding his feelings for Hong Kong, “Cheng Shi is a Hong Konger. In the future, he will continue to stay in Hong Kong, continue to be a persistent person, and choose the good and stubborn.”
Transformation plan calls for opportunity to give jailed youth
Mak Xiaohui, director of the “Project Change” program that assists youths arrested for opposing the amendment, said that candidates who encountered the fifth wave of the epidemic while in prison were “more unfortunate”, and observed that youths with multiple cases faced lengthy interrogations. Emotionally stressed, “the uncertain future is frustrating for them”. He encouraged relevant candidates, no matter what their grades, not to give up on themselves, to cultivate interest even within the walls, and to equip themselves as soon as possible.
Mai Xiaohui said that the Transformation Plan supported 3 young people to take the DSE exam this year, and described that “the candidates’ plans are more positive” when a special person follows up the case. He pointed out that more and more social movement cases are being tried one following another, and young people have been released from prison following serving their sentences. He called on schools and enterprises to provide more opportunities to help them reintegrate into society.
