The Hong Kong government’s plan to adopt China’s civic education system in Hong Kong public schools has sparked strong protest from locals.

Hong Kong media report that roughly eight-thousand college students and instructors boycotted their classes in protest against the plan to introduce the mainland’s “moral and national education” curriculum.

Protestors now say the Hong Kong government has stepped back from its initial plan to require all Hong Kong schools to introduce the national education subject. But they went on to say that it is still possible schools will crumble under pressure from the government, which might threaten to cut subsidies unless schools introduce the system.

Initially, Hong Kong authorities planned to make the national education subject a compulsory course at all elementary, middle and high schools by 2015.

But Hong Kong citizens are strongly opposing the plan, saying that the plan will unilaterally beautify the mainland’s political system and will brainwash Hong Kong children with pro-mainland propaganda.