Motivated by his first-hand experience with education inequity as a result of language barriers, Justin aspires to make a difference as a soon-to-be teacher because he sees e(quality) education as an equalizer of opportunities for all. He joins the Fellowship to amplify his allyship networks and collaborate with Fellows.
As someone who first received education in the Philippines and speaks mainly English and Tagalog at home, one thing that drives Justin to become an advocate is the lack of a systematic, progressive, and needs-sensitive Chinese as a second language (CSL) learning policy for non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students. Throughout his primary and secondary education, he struggled to learn Chinese despite attending locally-aided mainstream schools and taking the HKDSE Chinese curriculum. Had he not passed the HKDSE Chinese examination, his entry to university could have been blocked. Aside from inequitable educational standards, another strong incentive for him to advance social justice is the unfair treatment faced by his family members and ethnically diverse communities in their everyday lives. His mother’s work with migrant domestic workers in the past also fostered his commitment to improving the lives of those who are mistreated.
Having recently completed his undergraduate degree in Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Justin is keen to engage with under-resourced secondary school students, including but not limited to non-Chinese speaking students or students with special educational needs (SEN). He is currently a fellow at Teach for Hong Kong, teaching in a secondary school with a significant population of SEN students in the coming year. In the past, he was also an intern at organizations such as the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Global Network for Public Interest Law (PILnet), where he observed the power of statutory bodies and non-profits in mitigating education inequity.
Justin also co-runs a program that offers free to low-cost quality school work evaluation services to students, as well as frequently volunteers to coach, organize, and adjudicate for debate tournaments, thanks to his extensive competitive English debating experience since high school. Moreover, he has worked closely with Hong Kong Unison, the largest non-profit dedicated to the education of NCS students in Hong Kong, to deliver student talks on career planning, advise teachers in teaching Chinese as a second language, and help draft policy submissions to the Government.
Through the Fellowship, he wishes to build on three pillars of his work: allyship, comprehensive understanding of the problems and solutions to inadequate education systems, and a network of like-minded, skilled professionals to partner with. In his free time, Justin likes watching and analyzing films, listening to music, and spending time with family.