Abstract
School participation rates in Hong Kong are acknowledged to be high but not always for the
city’s ethnic minority students. Case study was used to portray the ‘out of school’
phenomenon for ethnic minority students at a secondary school in Hong Kong through the
experiences of one such ethnic minority student. Morshed, a Pakistani student, participated
with the researchers in an unstructured in-depth interview. In addition, interviews were also
conducted with the principal, two teachers, and one support staff from the school. The
study showed the complex interaction of school contexts and personal life issues that
influenced Morshed’s dropping out of school. Implications are drawn for providing better
school support that can facilitate more positive schooling experiences for Hong Kong’s
ethnic minority students.