Grassroots tutor center helps non-Chinese students earn crack at band-one schools

Seven of 14 ethnic minority students in a grassroots tutorial center have forged their way into band-one local secondary schools after learning Cantonese, says its Indian co-founder Manoj Dhar.

Dhar, who has lived in Hong Kong for over 20 years, founded Integrated Brilliant Education in 2014 to help non-Chinese students, knowing that their lack of proficiency in Cantonese - verbal and written - hindered their academic and career development.

It now has two branches - in Jordan and Cheung Sha Wan, with a total of 262 students. The combined number of teaching staff is 20, including eight permanent staff. The others are university students studying education.

The center said it charges HK$900 to HK$1,200 a month, which "grassroots parents can afford."

Children - from kindergarteners to secondary students - can attend after-school lessons from Monday to Friday for an average of 30 hours a month.

Teachers are equipped to help in all subjects, with Cantonese as the main teaching language, said Savio Lau Chi-kong, manager of academics and operations.

Lau said memorizing words and phrases is the basis of reading and speaking Cantonese and teachers use techniques such as explaining the components of Chinese characters to help students better understand them.

"Learning a language is a continuous process and difficulties should not be an excuse for our teachers to give up on the children," Lau said.

Seven ethnic minority students made it to band-one schools last fall - a marked improvement from the usual one or two before. Dhar said: "This is a [big] victory as it is proof that non-Chinese students can overcome the language barrier when they are provided with learning opportunities."

In addition to academic support, students are also made to play sports such as rugby and taken to field trips such as Ocean Park to help them converse in Cantonese.

Since pandemic-related measures have been imposed, however, all studies and activities have been moved online. But parents are asked to come to the center to get assignments and bring them back after two days so the teaching staff can help students if they have problems.

"This is how we stick to the [Covid curbs] and keep ourselves operational," Dhar said. "The key is to let the children develop a habit of learning and constantly talk to a Cantonese-speaking person."

Dhar said he is hoping to set up a free kindergarten at Yau Tsim Mong, which has a large population of ethnic minorities.

He said children need to be respected and appreciated, adding: "As educators, we should treat all the students the same and accept children from all backgrounds."

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com