Children whose families receive social welfare are battling discrimination at school, their parents say.
Youngsters are said to be enduring tough times, with lack of money depriving them of lessons at tutorial colleges, exercise books, extracurricular activities and even properly fitting shoes for the new school term.
One single father said his son had been allocated to a class of poor students next month, although he was the sixth brightest pupil out of 33 in his Primary Two class.
The demotion occurred after the Social Welfare Department wrote to the school to check the boy's status before approving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance.
Unemployed Tsuen Wan resident Cheung Yu-kai, 50, said the application should have been confidential.
Meanwhile, a mother said her two children were attending secondary school without the necessary stationery, but welfare officers had refused to help.
