‘Cantonese is strictly forbidden’: Hong Kong school principal apologises after unapproved language ban sparks outrage

A prestigious Hong Kong girls' school, Good Hope School, has faced significant backlash after a leaked production guideline deemed Cantonese "strictly forbidden" in a graduation video, sparking outrage. In an email to students and parents, the school's principal, Gary Harfitt, apologized for the oversight and clarified that the guideline was issued prematurely and did not represent the school's official policy.

The email stated, "As Principal, I take full responsibility for this oversight, but want to stress that the language/message on the slide does not reflect the policy, the reality of our school, or the reality of the S6 Graduation Ceremony."

The guideline, which circulated on the social media platform Threads, explicitly stated that Cantonese was not allowed for speaking, dialogue, or voiceovers, and that English or Mandarin must be used instead. The post further warned that any Cantonese audio in voice tracks would result in students being required to mute the audio and redo the sound effects entirely.

The Threads user, believed to be a student in the graduating class, expressed outrage, stating, "This is Hong Kong, a place where Cantonese is spoken. We request an explanation from the school as to why 'Cantonese is strictly forbidden'." The post argued that if Hong Kong students cannot even speak Cantonese, the city might lack a future.

In response to the incident, the Education Bureau urged the school to review event arrangements and maintain effective communication with stakeholders. However, the bureau did not comment on the school's language policies. It remains unclear why the initial guideline was issued, but Harfitt insists that the message on the slide does not reflect the school's actual policy or practices.