According to the 2021 Population Census, there has been a significant increase of 37.3% in the number of Ethnic Minorities living in Hong Kong over the past ten years. The trend of this pattern has shown that these numbers will continue to increase in the upcoming years. This increasing trend will cause more and more schools in Hong Kong to enrol students of diverse backgrounds, making it crucial for our teachers to be equipped with knowledge, awareness, and understanding of these diverse groups of students to make the school environment much more inclusive for all students.
WEDO GLOBAL has collaborated with the Education Bureau to conduct an experiential learning workshop and sharing for teachers from over 25 Secondary Schools in Hong Kong. This workshop was designed to help teachers gain a deeper understanding of how they can implement and provide inclusive activities for their students; by engaging in a dialogue with the Cultural Ambassadors; gaining more insight into the growth and learning experiences of and challenges faced by ethnic minority Cultural Ambassadors.
Dialogue session | Answering curiosity
In the Dialogue session, teachers were separated into groups to engage with the ethnic minority Cultural Ambassadors. The session was interactive and engaged about the different questions asked by the teachers. During the session, the teachers understood more about ethnic minorities from different aspects, for example, the language challenges faced by ethnic minorities due to various reasons, including the environment in school and at home which contribute to their difficulties in learning Chinese. We also discovered the teachers' reasons for joining this Workshop, which touched us with the care and passion these teachers had for their students. We appreciated their eagerness and willingness to understand more about how they can provide a better school environment; better learning environment; and more diverse opportunities for their students to grow.
“This activity allows me to learn from different aspects and understand the needs of non-Chinese speaking students”-Ms. Law
Cultural Workshop | Experiencing Arabic Calligraphy
We introduced our educational activities including cultural workshops and tours to teachers, which they can bring to their students, regardless of whether they have Chinese or non-Chinese students. The teachers also had a taste of our Arabic Calligraphy Workshop, which they enjoyed learning and painting. Their artworks were creative and unique.
One of the teachers had asked our Cultural Ambassador how to write the following in Urdu for his Pakistani students.
“Brothers, I love you. Teacher”
It showed not only the care he had for his students but also the closeness he had maintained with them, which as students, is genuinely appreciated.
“What impressed me most was the Arabic calligraphy. I felt the difficulty of ethnic minorities learning Chinese, and I also realised and experienced the beauty of mutual appreciation.” - Mr. Fung
Overall, the workshop provided a fun, interactive, and welcoming environment for teachers to enhance their cultural knowledge, share their experiences and concerns; and provide ideas on how to implement multicultural elements and activities for their students, ultimately contributing to a more harmonious, diverse and inclusive school environment.
“This activity deepens my understanding about the culture of EM & inspiration for collaboration” -Mr. Luk
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