What is the intergenerational poverty? It refers to the poverty induced by the socially or economically challenged background of a person’s parents. (Commission on poverty, 2007) In Hong Kong, there are 121,400 poor households with children under 18 years old. (Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report, 2014) It is impossible that education solves the intergenerational poverty in Hong Kong because there are great differences between lower class and upper class. In this essay, the definition of people in lower class is people under the poverty line and the definition of people in upper class is top 10% richest people. Hong Kong is a non-meritocracy society that children …show more content…
A lack of social capital is the main reason to the poverty. (Putnam, 2000) The social capital is the network of social connections that exist between people, and their shared values and norms of behavior, which enable and encourage mutually advantageous social cooperation. (Dictionary.com, 2012) The poor social network and low social network quality highly relate to the poverty. (Hung Wong, 2006) Firstly, they are difficult to study in international school. Let YCIS as an example. Its fee in one month is about $15000 for kindergarten student. (Yew Chung International School, 2016) The fee has already been more than income of three-people family in lower class whose income is only $13000 per month (Census and Statistics Department, 2014). It is impossible for them to study in YCIS if they do not have any support. They may not be educated in international school. The students in international school is rich. So, they are difficult to make friends in upper class to have a few of social capital. Secondly, it is difficult for them to study EBA. Above has already explain why children in lower class is difficult to study. The EMBA can help the students to builds a good social network. It is difficult for student in lower class to study this programme, so they are lack of social capital. In …show more content…
In above content, Hong Kong is assumed that it is a non-meritocracy society. Some people may think that Hong Kong is a meritocracy society as it has a 12-year free education. No matter who children are, they can also have a chance to study in primary school and secondary school freely. Therefore, some people think that students in lower class have a chance to be educated. However, 12-year free education is a social process to serves the need of capitalism by producing an obedient labour force. The schools in Hong Kong are more like to look important on school uniforms. For example, most students in Hong Kong are required to wear the school uniform. It encourages the obedience. The foreign schools are more dislike to look important on school uniforms. For example, most students in western country are not requested to wear the school uniform. It encourages that students have a personality because they decide different costumes match more freely. Students in upper class can study these schools. But, children in lower class is difficult to study in foreign school because it is expensive. Under the education system which emphasizes the obedience, they are more like to obey the capitalists class. In order to sustain their class, capitalists will exploit the working class which is student in lower class. They are not more willing to revolt the exploitation. Because