Position Papers

Below please find position papers: 

HKSAR Paper [PDF] - December 2009

As part of China’s report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the Committee), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) submitted its report for review and comment. This report was considered by the Committee in August 2009. Supplemental information was provided to the Committee by Growing Together and other Hong Kong NGOs, a number of whom (including Growing Together) traveled to Geneva to observe the Committee proceedings and providing information to Committee members in a number of informal meetings.

UNCRC Paper [PDF]
Growing Together wishes to inform LegCo’s Panel on Constitutional Affairs that non-Chinese speaking (“NCS”) children with special educational needs (“SEN”) are deprived from their fundamental right to appropriate education on the basis of language, and to comment on the report (“HK Report”) submitted by the People’s Republic of China (“China”) to the UNCERD in respect of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”).  Please click here to view The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child clip.

LegCo Submission [PDF] - April 2008
The Hong Kong school system excels at preparing students for standardized testing. However, the system currently in place neglects one of the most vulnerable segments of our population. While other developed nations continue to seek social growth and change though integrated and inclusive education systems, Hong Kong continues to overlook the needs of non-Chinese-speaking (NCS) children with special education needs (SEN).

Communication to the Special Rapporteur on Education [PDF] - September 2009 submitted by Growing Together
Growing Together wishes to inform the special rapporteur on the right to education (“Special Rapporteur”) that non-Chinese speaking (“NCS”) children with special educational needs (“SEN”) are deprived from their fundamental right to appropriate education in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”).  In its concluding observations dated 28 August 2009, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (“CERD”) stated that “...[it] is concerned that no official education policy for teaching Chinese as a second language for non-Chinese speaking students with an immigrant background in Hong Kong has been adopted” . In Growing Together’s view, this requires the establishment of an official curriculum using English as the medium of instruction. English is an official language of the HKSAR and is the common language of non-Chinese speakers.

Communication to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination [PDF] - June 2009 submitted by Growing Together
Growing Together wishes, to inform the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (“UNCERD”) that non-Chinese speaking (“NCS”) children with special educational needs (“SEN”) are deprived from their fundamental right to appropriate education on the basis of language, and to comment on the report (“HK Report”) submitted by the People’s Republic of China (“China”) to the UNCERD in respect of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”).