Study finds uphill struggle for ethnic minority youngsters with special education needs in Hong Kong
- Survey finds ethnic minority youngsters who need special education struggle with Chinese language classes; call for more classes in English
- Experts appeal to government for more assistance for youngsters from ethnic minority groups to access specialist educational help
More help is needed for Hong Kong schoolchildren and students from ethnic minority groups with special education needs after a survey funded by the city’s equality watchdog showed that many faced language barriers, experts have said.
The team spoke to 15 families from South Asia with children aged from five to 21 who had special education needs, as well as seven professionals in the education field.
Kim Kwok, the principal investigator, explained most special educational training provided in public hospitals, subsidised schools and NGOs was carried out in Chinese, with few resources provided for English speakers.
“Less well-off ethnic minority students with special education needs could not enjoy the same education opportunities as other students and they became the ‘forgotten kids’ in the city,” Kwok said.
Kwok added that although English might not be the first language for some of the South Asian families interviewed, the parents had said English was easier to understand than Cantonese.