(Video) Woman sparks outrage at HKU SPACE over language misunderstanding in daughter’s course

A heated confrontation unfolded at the HKU SPACE Kowloon East Campus when a woman from mainland China, furious over a misunderstanding about her daughter’s course, demanded a refund, prompting a police response and drawing attention online.

On September 26 (Fri), a commotion erupted at the HKU SPACE Kowloon East Campus in Hong Kong when a 45-year-old woman from mainland China confronted staff, alleging she was misled about the language of instruction for a course her 18-year-old daughter had enrolled in. 

The woman, visibly upset, was captured in widely circulated online videos loudly expressing her frustration, claiming she had paid HK$90,000 for a program she believed would be taught in Mandarin, only to discover it was primarily in English. 

Her actions, including slamming promotional flyers on a counter and glass panel, drew a crowd of students and prompted a response from security and police, with four officers, some carrying shields, arriving to investigate the incident.

The dispute stemmed from the woman’s arrangement through an educational intermediary, who reportedly assured her the course would be delivered in Mandarin.

However, upon attending classes, her daughter found the instruction was in English, rendering the content inaccessible due to language barriers. 

This led the woman to demand a refund from the institution. 

Online discussions speculated about the possibility of misrepresentation by the intermediary, with some netizens sympathizing with the woman as a potential victim of misleading promises, while others noted the intensity of her outburst was audible even inside classrooms.

Police classified the incident as a dispute, noting it occurred around 11am and was reported by campus security. 

In response to inquiries, HKU SPACE clarified that all its courses are primarily taught in English, a detail explicitly stated on their website and course materials.

The institution emphasized its commitment to supporting students facing learning difficulties, offering practical assistance to help them adjust to the academic environment.