How schools can provide the welcome that Hong Kongers need
Heather Rolfe, Research Director of British Future.
Many migrants are motivated by the prospect of a better life for their children. People coming to the UK via the British National Overseas (BNO) visa route from Hong Kong are no exception. Hong Kongers want their children to succeed in school and in their future lives as British citizens. But how are schools responding to the challenge of welcoming and integrating migrant children, including recent arrivals from Hong Kong? Heather Rolfe, joint author of a new report by the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers on the topic, looks at how schools might do welcoming better.
Schools are central to Hong Kongers’ migration decisions
The political crackdown in Hong Kong from 2020 made many of its residents worry that their children would grow up in an increasingly undemocratic climate and with limited political freedoms. While many other recent migrant groups to the UK are predominantly young and single, more than half of Hong Kongers moving to the UK have children, mostly of school age or younger. When asked about their reasons for moving to the UK, Hong Kongers with children frequently say it is for the sake of their children’s futures, as well as for their own. As one participant in our research, living in Reading, explained:
‘When we had to leave, 70% of my reason to leave was for my children, for my children to be free. 30% for myself. I want them to have a good education and live in freedom’.
Reflecting these aspirations, the availability of good schools has been a primary consideration in choosing where in the UK to live; the availability of jobs or an existing community of Hong Kongers have been of secondary importance.
Our research so far has found parents to be pleased with their children’s schools: they say their children are happy with the less pressured environment, compared to Hong Kong, and particularly with fewer homework demands. However, parents also say they feel they know little about school life in Britain and want to know more about their children’s education. This includes the basics – the school day, subjects, clubs and trips, celebrations – as well as how their children are settling in and achieving in their lessons.
Our visits to schools – primaries and secondaries, in different parts of England – suggest that schools could make some quite simple changes to make Hong Kongers, as well as other migrant children and their families, feel welcome and give them the support they would like and need.
Basics include a welcome pack with information about all aspects of school life; buddying and mentoring programmes; and a regular newsletter - preferably with key messages translated for parents with weaker English.
Open schools up
During the pandemic schools moved much parental contact online, and haven’t fully opened up. Schools should be much more proactive in inviting parents to take part in events and activities, including assemblies, performances and, in primary schools, ‘stay and play’ sessions and through volunteering. This allows parents to develop relationships with teachers and support staff so that they can raise concerns. They can also contribute to the life of the school, bringing new perspectives and linking schools with community and cultural organisations.
Become centres of welcoming
Schools are one of few places where new migrants come into regular contact with other parents from diverse backgrounds. Contact at the school gate can help reduce the social isolation which new migrant parents often experience. Families in the host community also benefit from contact with people from different cultural backgrounds, yet social mixing does not always happen naturally.
But mingling in the playground isn’t enough, and happens much less at secondary schools. Parents mix best when schools help make it happen. Activities can include concerts with multi-cultural content and international days and evenings. Schools should form strong links with community organisations that can inform and coordinate activities such as cultural celebrations, and local businesses that can provide donations and sponsorship for larger events, for example Lunar New Year celebrations. More casual content is just, if not more, beneficial, through regular coffee mornings and proving a space where parents can sit and chat.
Treat language and culture as assets, not barriers
Parents are keen for children to maintain their cultural connections to Hong Kong, including through Cantonese. Schools should include Cantonese books in their libraries, language clubs and opportunities to take public exams in the language. This opportunity should also be offered to all pupils who can benefit from learning a language alongside native speakers, and understanding cultural context.
Don’t forget teachers
Teachers are given very limited training in teaching to diverse intakes, and teacher training courses should include specific guidance on the needs of migrant pupils. This should aim to convey variation in the background and needs of migrant pupils rather than a single group with the same needs. Information about new groups of migrants, for example from Ukraine and Afghanistan as well as from Hong Kong, should be conveyed through Continual Professional development. The government can help in this process by providing short summaries of circumstances and needs.
Some of the schools we visited had benefited from the perspectives of Hong Konger teachers and support staff, who also provided informal mentoring and support to pupils. Yet in general, pupil diversity is nowhere near matched by the school workforce. Schools should look to recruit from local minority communities, and to encourage parents and other relatives to volunteer in the classroom, on trips and other school activities.
Money isn’t everything
Of course funding is important, particularly in helping migrant children to learn English quickly so that they can achieve academically and make friends. But schools don’t need to wait for funding increases to provide a better welcome to migrant parents and children. At the same time, many of the changes we highlight in the report also have benefits for other pupils and their families. Everyone gains when pupils of all backgrounds achieve their best inside and outside of the classroom. Better partnerships between schools, pupils and parents can help make that happen.
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