Tackle discrimination against Pakistanis in Hong Kong at the roots

South China Morning Post

23-06-2025

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The core strength of a global city like Hong Kong lies in multiculturalism. However, the challenges faced by the Pakistani community, highlighted at a forum on May 27, are stark and deeply concerning. Higher unemployment rates, lower-than-average income levels and the highest poverty rate in the city reveal a profound crisis of systemic inequality.
While
inadequate Chinese language skills and lower educational attainment are often cited, the root cause is deeply entrenched systemic discrimination. From educational segregation and workplace exclusion to social marginalisation, these structural issues demand urgent attention from both government and society to achieve genuine inclusion.
Systemic deficiencies in education are particularly pressing. The Audit Commission has highlighted that many Chinese language teachers lack the training needed to educate
second-language learners , leading to a persistent lag in Chinese proficiency among students from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Furthermore, schools continue to be segregated, with close to 40 per cent of primary pupils from diverse ethnicities attending schools where over 60 per cent of the student body are from these backgrounds – a concentration that may hinder integration and Chinese language acquisition. The authorities must mandate teacher training, establish a unified curriculum and incentivise the desegregation of schools; otherwise, educational equality will remain an empty promise.