Academic marginalisation of Hong Kong’s ethnic minority groups increases amid coronavirus pandemic
- Advocates and parents say underprivileged children from these groups are finding it hard to keep up with studies at home as they lack computers or internet access
- Meanwhile, a recent pilot study suggests Nepali children in the city show lower resilience than their South Asian counterparts
For many, he said, the problems started early in their lives, as they could not get into good primary schools due to their low Cantonese proficiency – which often led to limited opportunities when they grew up.
“We now have about five years of experience and from what we hear from the parents, it’s still challenging and difficult. And their academic marginalisation has only increased. The current crisis adds to the challenges these children face,” Dhar said.
“Previously, the language barrier was the main issue. Now it’s the language and no [face-to-face] school. How do you motivate and help your child to study when you don’t have the internet or an iPad at home? Many kids are suffering because they don’t have access to that.”
Dhar said the Education Bureau had issued some guidelines, but it was up to schools and educators to decide how to distribute their resources.