Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities can’t assess preschool quality as reports are not in English, survey reveals
Only one of the 151 official education quality reports available online is in English, even though some 11,600 non-Chinese children attend preschools across the city, says ethnic minorities advocacy group
Non-Chinese speaking parents in Hong Kong have been struggling to choose kindergartens suitable for their children as more than 99 per cent of official education quality reports were not available in English, a recent survey found.
The 151 reports covered all kindergartens offering subsidised or free preschool education in Yau Tsim Mong, Yuen Long and Island East. More than 73,000 non-Chinese residents lived in the three districts according to last year’s by-census. It showed that around 11,600 non-Chinese children were enrolled in preschool education across the city.
Puja Kapai, an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong as well as a non-Chinese speaking parent of a three-year-old boy, urged the bureau to make the reports on kindergarten quality available in English as soon as possible.
It’s not only about accountability to the public, but also about accountability to parents in Hong Kong
“It’s not only about accountability to the public, but also about accountability to parents in Hong Kong,” she said.