Slavery Education: From Hong Kong's Education Prison

In September 1995, I entered primary school. At six, I rebelled for compulsory slavery education. It was the first high-handed ruling I encountered in my life. As I remember, I expressed that I wanted to be a homeschool entrepreneur clearly. Everyday, my mum was busy on running a family business. So, I thought I could learn mathematics and entrepreneurship for helping my mum at home. Unfortunately, children always don’t have right to speak out in my hometown. They are always regarded as “childish”. They replied, “all children need to go to school.” Later, I decided to escape from school.

After that, my principal, class teacher and social workers forced my mum to sign a devil contract for making sure that I accepted compulsory slavery education. Otherwise, they would send my mum to prison. As a result, I sent myself into "education prison”. My mum was uneducated due to Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). She just asked me to listen to my teachers. Eventually, it lasted until my twenty for completion of the whole education.

In fact, I could not adapt both “mainstream education” and “mainstream society” in my native society. However, I had no choices. In school, I was always bullied by other classmates, just because I acted so slowly. I was silenced. But my class teacher commented that I was “unsociable”. Being alone was impossible. During the days of examinations, I always vomited in my schools, but teachers and social workers always ignored me. I felt so depressed. I was extremely headache. I thought I got examinophobia. No one cares. Education was a hell for students in Hong Kong. During my school days, I needed to study until 4am. I was extremely tired. However, making a sick leave was not allowed.

After telling my stories, my psychiatrist gives me a lot of Lexapro, Aripiprazole and Xanax, which are used to heal my depression. I just think I don’t have dignity. It’s because my personal stories are always regarded as “useless” in Hong Kong. No one cares. Why do I need to be famous or perfect to speak out?

When I grow up, I just discover that compulsory slavery education and modern slavery regime are a vicious cycle for people from slavery class in Hong Kong. Slavery people are well-trained for cruel capitalists under the most extreme "freedom" of capitalism. Landlords, elite class and ruling class always help to maintain "social stability" and "harmony". Under these circumstances, I am marginalized.

As an adult, I think children are forced to receive compulsory slavery education. It's immoral, though Education Bureau of HKSAR stated that it is a kind of “human rights” and “children’s rights”. Plus, it's always unfavorable for SEN students, but they are forced to enter "mainstream education".

When I found World Pulse, I hope sharing my personal stories can make connections with other world leaders and change makers.

Stop compulsory slavery education. We need political reform. It’s my dream.