This is my response to the allegations of racism that the English Schools Foundation has faced recently, as someone who went to ESF primary and secondary schools (“ Hong Kong school group teachers accused of racism, inappropriate behaviour ”, June 23). Following the publication of a student’s open letter last month, issues surrounding racism in ESF have been brought to light. Many students and parents have since spoken up about the micro-aggression they faced, which is emblematic of a bigger problem within international schooling. As someone who attended ESF schools for 13 years, I’m glad that these issues are being vocalised. It is long overdue. One particular line in the open letter resonated deeply with me: “being in a school community which exalted White culture made me detest my own”. But perhaps it is difficult to expect any different. ESF schools were privately founded for the very purpose of serving and educating white expatriates in the era of British colonialism. I cannot deny that I benefited from and thrived on an international education; it was a privilege, and many doors have opened for me as a result. But I must also acknowledge that my education was inherently racist and classist. International schooling in Hong Kong is as exclusive and elitist as ever. This is reflected in the school community as well; the white and wealthiest students were always at the top of the social hierarchies I formed a part of. The issues of exclusion that have plagued ESF throughout its existence will not be resolved by firing a few staff members and having a few conversations. These are tenets of a private education that cannot be uprooted without a complete overhaul of the system. There is no simple or straightforward solution, but recognition of its colonial and thus discriminatory roots is a good place to start. Tiffany Tsoi, Quarry Bay