The Education & Manpower Bureau refutes allegations that Secretary for Education & Manpower Prof Arthur Li had pressed Hong Kong Institute of Education President Prof Paul Morris to sack four teachers who frequently wrote articles against education policies.

Prof Li has served the education sector for years, the bureau noted, adding he fully respected tertiary institutions' autonomy and academic freedom, and had never intervened in the institute's personnel matters.

The allegation was totally untrue and regrettable, it stressed.

The bureau added it had no power to intervene in matters regarding employment contracts at the institute. It hoped parties involved in making inaccurate and malicious claims could express their opinions in a fair manner and avoid twisting facts or misquoting others' remarks rather than using smear tactics to gain public credit.