Full Description
This book offers a unique focus on the well-being of Chinese and South/Southeast Asian students in the context of Hong Kong, and in particular the experience of integrating these young people into its schooling system. Yuen uses a narrative method that captures and offers a vivid insight into the actual experience of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, whilst providing fascinating comparisons between students coming from Mainland China and those whose parents are South/Southeast Asian immigrants. Readers will be particularly interested in the attention given to spiritual well-being and how religious participation and affiliation make a difference in giving meaning to life and in creating a positive mindset, as viewed and explained by students themselves.
This well-organised volume begins by laying out the major themes relating to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, followed by a richly elaborated theoretical chapter which defines core concepts and their interconnection. This is followed by substantive chapters where the voices of each of the different diverse groupings of students, Chinese Mainland immigrants, Chinese Cross-boundary youth, South/Southeast Asian ethnic youth and mainstream HK youth from underprivileged backgrounds, are heard and interpreted in relation to themes of inclusion and well-being. It then builds upon the narratives to provide bottom-up solutions and pathways towards the inclusion and well-being of all students, as well as the professional development of teachers who can take up the challenge of ensuring that all young people are nurtured to fulfil their potential.
Providing readers with practical implications and takeaways for education practice, this must-read work will appeal to a wide range of education practitioners and students involved in providing or researching inclusive education relating to mainstream and non-mainstream Chinese, South Asian, and other ethnic minority students.
Contents
1. Equity, Access, and Obstacles in Education across the Globe 2. The Changing Student Demographics 3. Well-Being and Connectedness 4. Young People's Notion of Spirituality and Life Satisfaction 5. Teachers' Perspectives on the Civic Engagement of Chinese Immigrant and Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) Students in Hong Kong 6. Inclusion and Rejection of Chinese Immigrant Students (CIS) 7. Belonging and (Dis)Connectedness of Chinese Cross-Boundary Students (CBS) in Hong Kong 8. Educational Assimilation and Inclusion of South/Southeast Asian Students 9. Aspirations of Mainstream Youth from Underprivileged Backgrounds in Post-Secondary Education 10. Wellness of Underprivileged Youth Approaching Post-Secondary Education and Career in Hong Kong 11. Connecting Youth, Promoting Well-Being and Facilitating Productive Engagement for Equitable Schooling 12. Educating Teaching Professionals for Cultural Inclusion and Connectedness 13. Conclusion
