This paper addresses issues of cultural minority students in Hong Kong. The study involved multiple case studies of nine schools where interviews with principals and teachers were carried out. Findings demonstrate that Hong Kong, as an international city, is conservatively behind in dealing with cultural differences. Many mainstream schools are reluctant to accept children who do not belong to the Cantonese-speaking group. For example, new arrival children from Mainland China with additive cultural capital are generally welcomed by the schools, whereas those with negative cultural capital are often rejected, retained or demoted by schools. Further, children of South Asian decent can only attend one of the seven government-funded schools that cater for ethnic minority pupils. The study found schools in Hong Kong greatly behind in multicultural knowledge, skills, and experience in working with children from diverse cultural backgrounds. The paper attempts to draw implications for future policy.
