For new Chinese-language curriculum to work, teachers have to show us respect, say ethnic minority pupils

A Chinese-as-a-second-language curriculum will work only when teachers learn to respect the unique identities of non-Chinese-speaking children, a group of ethnic minority pupils and parents has said.

At a meeting organised by ethnic minority advocacy group Unison, the 20 or so people were invited to join the discussions.

Suleman Siddiqui, a teenager studying in CMA Choi Cheung Kok Secondary School, said one of his teachers once told him he should not expect to be anything but a train driver or toilet cleaner when he grew up.

"Why are we always stereotyped? Why do they have such low expectations of us?" asked Suleman, a Pakistani whose family has lived in Hong Kong for four generations.

The government is targeting such pupils, who are often sidelined in local Chinese-speaking schools, with its "Chinese as a second language" subject.

The subject will be introduced in September and a HK$200 million budget has been put aside to support it in its first year. Details such as sample lessons, assessment tools and learning materials have yet to be provided.