The student reporters did some background research on ethnic minorities and on Dr Stephen Fisher before the interview. At the interview, they asked the prepared questions, raised follow-up questions and helped take some pictures. They also shared their views about what had been discussed. The following is a summary of their views:
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Critical and enquiry minds at work
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"It is hard to believe that in Hong Kong, the international city where we live, we still have ethnic minorities who are almost completely separated from the rest of the society," one student said.
"… parents who do not welcome ethnic minorities in their school, as they are afraid that they would hinder the progress of their own child. Those children have no mental disabilities. Given good education, they can do well too. So why should we discriminate against them?" the student added.
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Another student said, "I also learned that the government actually spends quite a large amount of money in education each year, but I really wonder whether that money has been put to good use. That is the issue that we should care more about."
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"It seems the current system mainly benefits those people who know Chinese well. Ethnic minorities who do not know Chinese well may be put into 'specialised' schools that only teach them minimal Chinese. That does not help them blend into the society. Therefore, I fully agree with Dr Fisher's suggestion of offering 'immersion classes' in normal secondary schools to let ethnic minorities blend into the society," said a third student.
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Dr Stephen Fisher was impressive
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On Dr Fisher, one student said, "I think that Dr Fisher is a really good director, and a good person. He thought about things in different dimensions, and he was also very willing to explain different concepts to us."
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Another student noted, "He has a very firm stance and I am sure that he can really assist the ethnic minorities to fight for their rights."
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"Dr Fisher raised a lot of examples to illustrate the present situation and difficulties that his organisation faces. I found it very impressive," said a third student.
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More has been learned beyond ethnic minorities
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"Through the interview, I found out that not everyone in the government thinks just about their own interests. They also care about the others around them, and they will also listen to others' suggestions," one student noted.
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"One thing that I thought was really useful was that he told us to think in a longer scale, because many things cannot be changed within a month or two, changes need time," the student added.
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