HONG KONG, Sept. 23 -- The education bureau of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Monday that schools are obliged to teach students about the national anthem and national flag and boost students' sense of their own country.

"Wherever in the world, it is the responsibility of schools," the education bureau said in an email to Xinhua.

The education bureau urged schools to hold flag-raising ceremonies as usual despite recent social upheavals.

Teachers should not turn a blind eye to certain students' improper behaviors regarding flag-raising ceremonies. Instead, they can seize the opportunity to teach and guide the students, it said.